


Of Guardians and Roommates

by lori_yuy



Category: Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: Aphrodisiacs, Boarding School, Bodyguard Romance, Chocolate, Comedy, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Falling In Love, High School, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Making Out, Original Character(s), Roommates, Sex and Chocolate, Sleeping Together, Slice of Life, semi-au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:06:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 23,693
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27459193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lori_yuy/pseuds/lori_yuy
Summary: Rufus Shinra got accepted to Junon Academy, a prestigious private school.  President Shinra asked Veld to send a Turk after him as a guard. Tseng was sent to accompany the VP in his new school life.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough & Tseng, Cissnei & Tseng (Compilation of FFVII), Reno/Rude (Compilation of FFVII), Rufus Shinra/Tseng
Comments: 22
Kudos: 31





	1. Acceptance

**Author's Note:**

> I'm using Remake ages. They're 15 years old at the beginning of the story. Tseng and Rufus are assumed to be already fairly close to each other. Loosely tied with my other piece, Feed Me Not. 
> 
> I wrote the characters like they are actually teens.
> 
> Headcanon that Tseng was initially taller than Rufus in his teens and Rufus caught up to his height later on.

The large packet laid conspicuously on President Shinra's desk. The large, blocky letters vying for his attention.

**To: Rufus Shinra**  
_**Congratulations, you've been accepted!** _

The blue sail insignia on the envelope was unmistakably Junon Academy's - one of the most prestigious boarding schools on the continent. It was more difficult to get into this high school than into some of Gaia's best colleges. Despite criticizing his son far more often than not, President Shinra was proud of his boy. Rufus had talent and intelligence but lacked the sophistication and worldliness to become a successful heir to the company. From what President Shinra could see, his son was still immature, his personality brash, impatient, and cocky at the age of 15. Rufus could only be compared to a diamond in the rough, lackluster for the value he holds but with polishing, could become much more. Sending him to school on his own was one way for Rufus to acquire lifelong skills or at least gain an appreciation of the luxuries he had possibly never given thought to. It had been Rufus's own idea to apply to the academy yet President Shinra wholeheartedly agreed that it would be an excellent opportunity for his son.

Veld was called to the Executive Suite that same day and immediately engaged in an in-depth discussion about the logistics of sending Rufus to boarding school. The Director of the Turks went into the Executive Suite with no expectations but raised an eyebrow when President Shinra asked him to immediately spare a Turk or two for the next couple of years. Veld's first thoughts was to send someone older, more experienced in bodyguarding after Rufus. The thought that the heir was only in his teens came in from the back of his mind, pushing him towards making an entirely different decision. Would it really benefit the boy to have an older Turk's presence all the time? That would probably be devastating to his social life - not a good option in the long term. He juggled ideas in his head until a logical choice hit him. Veld suggested a couple of Turks to the President - all roughly around Rufus's age. It would be ideal to send them in disguised as his classmates. President Shinra agreed to the plan to arrange a younger Turk to accompany Rufus, both for his safety and to have a consistent set of eyes they can trust on the heir.

Veld was permitted an evening to make the final selection. That night, Veld contemplated his choices. Rude could be a good choice - he was quiet, not likely to disturb Rufus, and followed mission rules. But Rude would be a pushover for someone like Rufus Shinra. Could the taciturn Turk really rein in the young heir? If Rude went, Reno would want to go as well. Reno was a little too young to be in the same class and his head shock of red spikes would attract too much attention. Reno is just as brash as Rufus, the two of them together without supervision was a nightmare waiting to happen. Not to mention that neither Reno or Rude's academic ability would be up to par for Junon Academy.

That leaves Tseng. Veld didn't want to spare his second in command, still in training to become the next Director. The young man was diligent, quiet, and level-headed, a natural at information synthesis and logical deduction, making him excellent material to be shaped into a leadership position.

Tseng, however, would actually be the best candidate. He has handled Rufus Shinra on and off since joining the Turks years ago. The young heir's personality seemed to meld with Tseng's and Tseng was a good counterbalance to Rufus's brashness. Despite Veld's hesitancy, accepting this mission would also allow Tseng an opportunity to get an education with the best of society. That was a chance not afforded to most Turks and it would be good for him to go even if his official role is to guard Rufus. What it takes to be the Director of the Turks did not come only from the ability to brawl in the streets after all. A formal education alongside Rufus Shinra would benefit them both and perhaps even solidify the Turks' place within Shinra. Veld nodded to himself as he finalized his decision.

~...~

"You're sending me to Junon Academy with Rufus?" Tseng was surprised when Veld divulged the new plan. Not that he wasn't honored to be selected for such an important mission, but it was all too sudden. The decision was made overnight that he would spend the next four years at an academy hundreds of miles away from Midgar, guarding one of the most important figures to the future of Shinra Company.

"Think of it this way, it would be an opportunity to get a good education, and you already know what I think about building rapport with the heir."

"Yes but..." Tseng trailed, eyes focused on the mission directive sheet on Veld's desk. Veld followed his gaze to the large printed word "Roommate" on the paper. Veld smiled knowingly. Tseng was a little shy and an introvert. Having to share with anyone was probably never on his personal list of things he liked.

"Look, I can send Rude or Reno if you really don't want to go."

"....Reno would be a disaster at any academy, and Rude doesn't know how to deal with Rufus." Tseng's reply hit the nail on the head and the response made Veld chuckle. "It feels like I'm being pushed into the fire but I see where you're coming from in selecting me to go, I'll take the mission."

"Deal, I'll be sure you're compensated accordingly. I expect weekly reports." Veld nodded at the boy.

"Do you also expect me to get straight A's?"

The Director let out a full-bellied laugh. "No but Rufus must get straight A's or you'll be writing explanation letters directly to President Shinra."

"That's a funny way to say yes."

"Do whatever you need to do. The rest is up to your discretion." With that the Director dismissed Tseng.

~...~

He was lost in thought, pacing around the Turks HQ with a frown on his face and a packet of documents in hand. His registration and acceptance, with letters of special circumstances addressed to the President of Junon Academy for his presence. The young orphan that Veld took in looked up from her book. "You've been pacing all afternoon." He spared her a glance before allowing a small smile.

"Listen Cissnei." He sat down next to her on the sofa, stroking her chestnut hair. "I'm going to be gone for awhile."

Her amber eyes popped. "You're LEAVING me? How long?"

"Four years. It was Veld and the President's decision." She probably had little idea how long four years actually was but that didn't stop her from showing her displeasure at the news. Her small lips formed into a pout and she clung to his arm. "You're really leaving? What about Aerith?"

He hugged her small form. "I'm accompanying Rufus to school. Aerith is staying here so you two can still play. Don't worry, I'll be back during school breaks."

"I'll miss you." Her voice was almost a whisper. It didn't escape him that he was going to leave the two kids. "Will you bring me gifts?"

Reno and Rude stepped in then. "Did'ya see that? The guy flew back like...ten feet! I love this new weapon." Reno bragged as he twirled the mag rod in his hand.

"Heya Tseng, Cissnei." Reno chimed when he noticed the two on the sofa. Rude nodded at them politely. "Telling each other secrets while everybody else is out?"

"Tseng is LEAVING." Cissnei informed the two. Rude pulled down his sunglasses a bit and Reno's smile temporarily disappeared off his face. 'Leaving' meant one of two things in the department of Administrative Research, one - merciful swift death, two- slow death by torture.

"Did ya...do something bad?"

"No silly! He's going to SCHOOL!" Cissnei replied indignantly for Tseng.

The inseparable pair glanced at each other before laughing. "That's not leaving. Don't scare me Cissnei, and you know he's already been going to school for years?"

"Junon Academy." Tseng added while fixing a steady gaze at the red head.

Reno's jaws went agape. "JUNON? Isn't that really hard to get into?"

Tseng smirked. "Who said I applied at all?"

He chucked the package of paperwork at Rude who glanced through the documents quickly.

"Accompanying the brat huh. I don't envy you."

"I leave in a week, take care of Aerith and Cissnei for me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> XD Cissnei asking Tseng for gifts already.


	2. Orientation Day

Tseng felt the icy blue gaze boring into him. He expected as much - it's very likely nobody had told Rufus he was getting a Turk, much less the actual arrangements that were made. The incoming students were sitting at Orientation, going through the welcoming speech by the academy's President and board of directors, before the projection on the screen started a slideshow of pairs of names. These were roommate pairings for the next four years. There was a collective gasp when the name Rufus Shinra flashed onto the screen.

Rufus had been curious as to whom he'd end up with and when Tseng's name popped up alongside his he did a double take. He quickly scanned the room before his eyes landed on silky black hair and dark chocolate eyes gazing back at him. So Veld sent a Turk after him, no doubt under his father's orders. He sighed exasperatedly and glared at him but he knew he couldn't faze Tseng. It was smart of Veld to send Tseng for he knew how to handle him far more than the other Turks - and here he thought he could have some freedom far from home.

The student body was abuzz with excitement as the day was full of novelty. There were already rumors circulating about the identity of Rufus's roommate. Tseng quickly followed as Rufus strode past the crowd of students. Rufus really didn't care what was being said, but Tseng was clearly getting annoyed at some of the rumors being conjured up. It was slightly amusing that for once he wasn't the center of attention, but nonetheless it still had to do with him.

"You're popular." Rufus commented as his eyes swept through the crowd, looking at no one in particular.

"That wasn't a goal." Tseng replied as they walked past the curious gazes of the other students.

Tseng was in a fitted white dress shirt with black slacks and dark brown leather shoes. It was similar to his Turks uniform without the jacket, gloves, and tie. His hair was taken out from the usual tight ponytail and hung loosely around his face. He forewent the eyeliner that Turks wore for extra intimidation and now looked more like a kitten without the makeup than Rufus would like to admit. If he wasn't so mad about the fact that his father sent a Turk after him, he would have complimented Tseng about his new look.

"So you're my roommate huh..." Rufus finally said after half an hour of staring at the small stream at the back of the dorm building.

"Are you disappointed?"

"....."

Tseng leaned on the tree behind him, glancing at the way Rufus lowered his head.

"I thought I'd get some freedom when I applied for the academy."

"I'll try to stay out of your way unless it becomes harmful to you in some way." Tseng replied.

Rufus looked up, expression bemused. "I might make you regret your words."

The look that Tseng gave him told him that he shouldn't push his luck with the Turk. Rufus pouted in a playful manner. At least it's Tseng even though it's Tseng. He knew how to deal with Tseng just as much as Tseng knew how to deal with him.

Tseng turned at the sound of leaves crunching underfoot as a group of people approached them from behind. A fellow student with reddish-brown hair stepped up, followed by a group of other teens.

"Well well, if it isn't Rufus Shinra."

Rufus examined the guy from head to toe before sweeping back up to his face. He had no idea who this was. The way he presented himself left a bad taste in Rufus's mouth.

"Did you BUY your way into this school? Oh and what irony you're now stuck with a Wutaiian roommate for the next four years. Poetic justice isn't it? Hahahaha."

Rufus kept his gaze steady and confident and didn't give away a single sign of his feelings.

The brunette turned towards Tseng. "Don't suck up to him just because he's a Shinra. Got that Wutaiian?"

Rufus let out a hearty laugh that made the other boy's face twist in confusion that subsequently turned to anger before he signaled his friends to go.

"Who was that smart aleck?" Rufus prompted after the group was out of earshot. Tseng had a hint of an amused smile on his face.

"Raymond Trinity, a Shinra business partner's son. He was present at the Christmas party last year and has strong opinions against the Wutai war."

Raymond didn't recognize Tseng - very few elites paid attention to Turks at Shinra's parties. "I see, Trinity Mining Co...his father was respectable enough but he clearly wasn't even memorable."

The comment drew a soft chuckle from the normally stoic Turk. While Raymond didn't leave any impressions on Rufus, Tseng remembered the name and face, instinct from being a Turk.

"Tseng?" a small voice called out across the stream.

Tseng looked up from his musings. Who would know him here besides Rufus?

Dark hair, brown eyes, unevenly cut hair, short bangs framing the cheeks on one side, a long braid on the other side. One of the twins from his birth village....the little sister.

"Meilin?"

"I knew it! It IS you, Tseng!!" She squealed a little too enthusiastically before hopping across the stream to stand in front of him. "You're still alive!"

Rufus passed a glance at the two before nodding to Tseng and taking his leave towards the dorms.

He turned around to face the girl once he saw that Rufus had entered the building. "Meilin...what are you doing here?"

"I got accepted! So did Malan! He's somewhere, probably getting to know his new roommate. I can't believe it, you left the village so many years ago and I find you here at Junon Academy."

The twins played together with him when they were little. Tseng was slightly older and had watched them like a big brother when their parents were busy. Tseng's family had left the village after his first couple of years of school. From what he remembers of them, he shouldn't be surprised that they made it into the academy. They were high-achievers even in kindergarten and elementary school. Despite the unexpected reunion, he wasn't thrilled about being recognized.

"So I see you've gotten paired with the most elite of elites..." she teased while jabbing a finger at his chest. "You better build some rapport and connections while you have this chance! What have you been up to anyways? How was life in Midgar? Are you with anyone? Did any cute girls catch your eye?"

Tseng smiled at the curious girl but decided he should keep quiet about the true nature of him and Rufus. He clasped a hand over hers, pulling the offending finger away and pulled her into an embrace. "I can tell you my life story later, but for now I'm glad to see you too."

She seemed to relax and melt into his hug, forgetting the slew of questions she asked earlier. "Oh before I forget, Malan's room is apparently next to yours."

Tseng grimaced at this new fact. His childhood friend is now his next door neighbor...and Rufus had a tendency to get loud or uncouth at times. She pulled him along toward the dorms. "Have you seen the rooms? They're HUGE! Let me show you mine and introduce you to my roommate Annie."

A few hours and too many cupcakes later, Tseng returned to his own dorm. He was surprised to see Rufus putting the room together by himself. The blond turned at the sound of the door and smiled in greeting.

"Had fun?" Tseng quietly closed the door behind him and walked towards what looked like will be his side of the room. "Was she a childhood friend?" Tseng nodded in reply. "You went indulging without me." Rufus's unexpected touch elicited a light gasp as he wiped off crumbs clinging to the side of Tseng's mouth.

"Cupcakes were forced upon me." Tseng said sheepishly as he glanced at the chocolate crumbs stuck on Rufus's thumb.

"You make it sound like that's so awful." Rufus mock rolled his eyes before flicking the crumbs into the nearest trash bin. Rufus had unpacked in the time that he was gone and had apparently started unpacking his stuff as well. His Turks uniform and other articles of clothing were hanging neatly side by side next to Rufus's designer clothes in the large shared closet.

"Sir, you didn't have to unpack my things."

"I had nothing better to do." Rufus waved a hand dismissively. "Will dinner be soon?" Tseng nodded as he glanced at his watch. "Yes Sir, in half an hour or so. I'm not sure I could eat more after all the cupcakes though."

"At least accompany me even if you're not planning to eat. You should also get out of the habit of calling me 'Sir' while we're here." Rufus glanced up as he finished arranging books on the bookshelf.

"Yes S...Rufus."

He really should be more mad at the entire situation but there was something about Tseng that always made him feel calm. He just couldn't stay mad at Tseng for long. Not after Tseng ate all his food once two years ago and not after he helped Rufus pull all kinds of little pranks on Heidegger. A twinge of pain welled within his heart as the image of Tseng being fed cupcakes came up mentally and he realized then that it was him who had no other friends, here or back in Midgar. He swallowed down the wave of emotions welling up in him...was this...jealousy? loneliness? His eyes wandered and he found himself staring at Tseng who was typing on his laptop.

Tseng felt eyes on him and looked up from the report he was writing back to HQ. "Sir?"

Rufus shook his head. "It's nothing. Don't mind me." He pulled a book he had been reading and plopped down on his bed.

~...~

A knock at their door pulled both of them out of what they were doing. Tseng got off the bed and cracked the door open. Malan's smiling face beamed at him.

"Hey! Meilin told me she ran into you earlier and that we're technically neighbors now. ....wow! you have your own bathroom AND kitchenette?"

Tseng turned to look at the small built-in bathroom and stovetop in the dorm and shrugged. "You don't?"

Maybe this was an amenity that Veld had arranged.

Malan laughed. "Are you kidding? The rest of us have to use communal bathrooms...and who wants to cook? Do you want to have dinner together? I'd love to catch up."

Tseng shot a quick glance at Rufus who was still reading. "If the roommate goes with us."

Malan looked past Tseng's shoulders at one Rufus Shinra and swallowed. His name was too big for anyone not to know him and who from Wutai wouldn't know with Shinra still fighting a war there? It felt strange for a Wutaiian to be inviting Rufus Shinra to join for dinner but it would look bad if he didn't. He can't even begin to fathom how Tseng feels to be Rufus Shinra's roommate.

"S-sure....Rufus right?" The blond put his book down and nodded at him. "I'm Malan, Tseng and I grew up in the same village. I have a twin sister named Meilin."

"Save the chatter for later." Tseng shushed him before motioning Rufus over. Rufus shook Malan's hand firmly and examined the twin. He could not be any more different from Tseng even though both were Wutaiian. Tseng carried himself with an air of dignity while Malan's aura was more of what you'd expect from a teenager. Perhaps that was Shinra's or Veld's influence. As far as Rufus knew, Veld had picked up Tseng long before the Wutai war even started and had trained him to be a Turk as soon as he was old enough to learn how to shoot a gun, which means Tseng had been under Shinra's influence for far longer than just his years of service with the Turks.

They invited Malan's roommate then met up with Meilin and Annie before heading to the cafeteria. Rufus was about to sit down at a table when Tseng whispered something in his ear. He got back up and followed Tseng to the cafeteria line. Apparently you were supposed to get your own food. Soon enough, Rufus was staring blankly at the THING on his tray, along with a carton of milk, some fruit slices, and some grilled vegetables. He sent a questioning look towards Tseng who was busy engaged in a conversation with Malan's roommate Lance, no doubt trying to learn more about their new neighbor.

"What IS this?" Rufus commented at the sopping mess on his tray.

"An open-faced sandwich." Tseng replied as he met Rufus's gaze.

"It's covered in soup." Rufus replied as he scrunched his face up.

"Gravy." Tseng corrected him.

No one dared to comment on the strangeness of the conversation. Meilin and Malan were poking at the food too since it was unfamiliar to them. Annie held back her amusement and picked up her utensils. "Sir, you eat it with a fork and knife to keep it from getting messy."

Rufus gave the food a try despite how unappetizing it looked. The flavor wasn't bad but the texture wasn't to his liking. The bread was soggy from being soaked in sauce for too long. He picked at the vegetables before gingerly lifting out pieces of broccoli, dropping them onto Tseng's tray. Again, nobody dared comment at the table but there were raised eyebrows.

Tseng was just coming out from the bathroom when Meilin pulled him aside and pushed him to the nearest wall. "How do you do that?"

"What?" Tseng was confused as to what she was referring to. "Interact with Rufus Shinra so nonchalantly."

Tseng shrugged. "He asked me to keep it informal."

"So you're just going with super informal? He's Rufus Shinra you know!"

Tseng shrugged again. He didn't really want to have this conversation with his childhood friend, at least not yet. "It doesn't bother him."

Just as luck would have it, Raymond passed the two speaking in Wutaiian at that moment. "Planning to murder Rufus Shinra yet? Hahaha."

Tseng gave him a look. "I plan to do no such thing." Somehow the way Raymond laughed was reminding Tseng of Director Heidegger.

"Yeah yeah. Keep me in mind if you're ever in the mood to at least plot pranks on him." Raymond ran his eyes over both Tseng and Meilin before walking off.

"What was that guy's deal?" Meilin asked. "Did you see the way he was looking at us? He looks like a creep."

"Tell me if he ever bothers you." Tseng replied before pushing himself off the wall and guiding them back towards the dining hall. He noticed immediately that the atmosphere had changed in the cafeteria as soon as he stepped in. He then spotted the reddish brown hair standing over Rufus at their table. A frown formed on his face and he walked briskly towards them.

"You better watch that roommate of yours, Wutai might send an assassin after you." Rufus rolled his eyes before spotting Tseng out of the periphery of his vision. He was more annoyed than feeling threatened by Raymond but knowing Tseng was right there made him feel better. Tseng noticed the way Annie and Lance had shrunk back from being part of the conversation and Malan was shifting uncomfortably in his seat, looking at anything but Rufus and Raymond. Tseng sighed and walked up to the table. "Excuse me, you're blocking my seat." Raymond shot an annoyed look at him before recognizing who it was. "Tseng was it? I don't think I've actually introduced myself. Raymond Trinity of the Trinity Mining Company. I'm sure you've at least heard the name before." So the guy was already flaunting his family name. "Rufus and I are acquainted by our parents' business associations. I'm just giving him some friendly advice about his safety away from home you know?" He winked at Tseng.

"If you're SO worried about my safety, how about you sign up to be my bodyguard?" Rufus's voice was tinged with a bare hint of anger.

"Oh I can't possibly live up to that. I'm surprised your father didn't send a whole army of bodyguards with you."

Rufus scoffed loudly before getting up and strutting out of the cafeteria. Tseng excused himself then as well. Raymond's eyes followed the fluid movement of the Wutaiian teen. There was a grace and beauty to Tseng that inexplicably turned him on.

"Rufus." Rufus kept walking without looking back. "Sir."

Rufus paused. "I told you not to call me that here."

"Do you want me to do something about him?"

"I didn't come here to cause a raucus. Leave me alone please?" Rufus asked as he turned to face Tseng. Tseng noticed the tired expression on Rufus's face. It hadn't been that eventful of a day but Raymond was a tiring person to be around. It hadn't slipped his attention that Rufus didn't eat most of his dinner. Tseng turned around once Rufus was back in the dorms in search of ingredients for later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rufus is just getting a taste of somewhat normal life. Tseng ...is getting a stalker. T_T also Tseng is Rufus's only friend at the school.


	3. Friends, Foes, and Frustrations

"Psssst." He turned at the sound. The twins were peeking out from behind Malan's door. He turned to them apologetically. "Sorry you two had to see that." 

They shook their heads. "Where are you going?"

"Shopping, would you like to come along?" 

They glanced at each other before nodding. "We should see what's near the school too. We just arrived yesterday and haven't had a chance to do anything yet."

They prowled around the streets past the school campus until they found a small grocery store. Tseng quickly went through the isles and picked up a variety of food, home goods, and a box of cupcakes stacked at the checkout lane. When he turned around, the twins were eyeing the ice cream in the freezer nearby.

"Get what you want, it's my treat." Tseng said to them and Meilin's eyes lit up. Tseng smiled at the two happily devouring their ice cream on the way back. It really has been too long since he last saw them. They were still young then, but their facial features have not changed much. He ended up getting snacks for them to bring back to their dorm as well. He bid them good night before returning to his own room.

  
Lance's eye popped at the snacks. "Tseng treated you guys? Wow he's a nice guy." 

"My childhood friend." Malan said proudly. 

"I wonder what his background is...he must be rich treating you guys on the first day."

Malan paused. He hadn't thought much about that at all. Tseng had pulled out a rather fancy looking card with his name engraved on it to pay for the groceries and snacks. It was sleek and black but Malan didn't think to question its origins. Nobody from the village had heard about what happened to Tseng after he and his parents left for Midgar. Had his parents done well since they moved? Junon Academy wasn't a cheap school to attend by any means. He and Meilin got in on a scholarship for their academic aptitude so their parents didn't have to worry about tuition and boarding. Perhaps Tseng did as well.

"Well I'm not complaining if your friend wants to treat us."

"He bought them for ME."

"but we're roommates..."

Malan smirked. He was planning to share anyways but since he found out Lance was somewhat of a glutton, he had to tease him.

  
"TSENNNNNNNNGGGGG!!!!!!" They were startled out of their conversation at the screech from next door.

"TSEEENNNNNGGG!!!" There it was again.

"WHAT?"

"THERE'S NO TOILET PAPER IN HERE!"

"Hang on, I just bought some."

  
Oh right, next door had its own bathroom...and Rufus Shinra was apparently an interesting neighbor.

"They seem awfully close." Lance commented offhandedly.

"Yeah...." Malan trailed, thinking back to how Tseng whispered into Rufus's ears, how Rufus dumped his unwanted vegetables onto Tseng's tray, and now Tseng being asked for toilet paper like it was the norm. He had a feeling Tseng might not have told them something about himself and Rufus Shinra.

  
~...~

  
Rufus woke up to the pleasant smell of pancakes and sliced fruit. His stomach growled immediately - he really didn't eat all that much the night before. The sandwich was gross after the initial couple of bites, the vegetables were so-so, the fruit was tolerable. Milk was the only thing he wholeheartedly liked on that entire tray. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and looked blearily at Tseng's silhouette standing over the stove.

"Eggs and hash browns coming up soon." Tseng announced after hearing the yawn from behind him. 

"Mm...does that mean no cafeteria food today?" Rufus asked as he stumbled over to the bathroom.

"No, just breakfast."

"Ugh." Rufus actively voiced his displeasure. The truth was the cafeteria food was below par even for Tseng.

"For the record, there are food trucks nearby that looked decent. There is also a grocery store and several restaurants within walking distance of the school." Tseng replied as he cracked eggs into the pan.

Rufus opened the fridge and peeked inside. "You bought cupcakes!"

Tseng smiled. "Those are not for breakfast Sir."

"Too late." Rufus was already stuffing one down.

  
~...~

  
Raymond frowned as he observed the people coming in and out of the cafeteria. It was Saturday and they weren't officially starting classes till the following Monday. It was a great opportunity to get to know his classmates, study their habits, and maybe make a few connections while he's not busy yet. He spotted the Wutaiian twins from dinner last night. Visibly missing from their group was Rufus Shinra and his awfully cute roommate Tseng. Raymond had a thing for Wutaiians and both the twin girl and Tseng had caught his eyes the day before. Truth be told, he was hoping to see Tseng specifically.

"Where's the rich boy?" Raymond asked as he strutted up to them.

They looked up from their food, not knowing how to handle his intrusion. 

"Do you mean Rufus Shinra?" Annie finally spoke up.

"Who else?" Raymond invited himself to sit down next to Meilin.

"Breakfast at home." Malan replied while giving Raymond a side-eye.

"Home? Like he went back to Midgar for breakfast?" 

"Home as in the dorm." Malan said as he returned to his breakfast.

"Tseng too?" All he got was a shrug. "Maybe Tseng's already killed him last night." Raymond mused. He missed the way the other students rolled their eyes. "Well carry on then." Raymond jostled Meilin's arm while getting up and winked at her before leaving. Annie made a face to show her disgust.

"Well THAT was a pleasant start to a Saturday..." Lance trailed. "Their room did smell delicious this morning though." 

Meilin raised an eyebrow. "They're actually having breakfast there?" 

Malan nodded. "Oh by the way, Lance and I heard some REALLY interesting conversation coming out of their room last night."

"DO TELL."

  
~...~

  
Raymond marched out of the cafeteria and directly into the dorms. Rufus and Tseng's room was nestled at the very back of the hall and looked to be larger than most of the regular dorms. Of course there'd be special treatment for a Shinra. The scent of food wafted into the hall as he neared the door. Curiously, he put his ear against the wall. The sound of silverware clinked inside.

"That's the THIRD cupcake you've had since getting up."

"Oh hush, you had half a dozen last night."

"I'm not buying anymore if you're just going to eat them like candy."

"HEY that's not fair! You're using your height now?"

Raymond bumped his head against the wall while trying to listen to the semi-muffled voices. Before he knew it, Tseng had opened up the door and was staring at him.

"May I help you?"

"I ... uh was wondering what happened to you this fine morning. I didn't see you with your friends at breakfast." He made up an excuse as to why he was there.

"As you can see, I am fine. Have a good day."

Raymond caught a glimpse of a pack of cupcakes on top of a high shelf before Tseng shut the door in his face. He huffed indignantly and squared his shoulders, glancing back at the room. The door opened once more. 

"Do I need to help you find your way back to your room?" Oh did Tseng look cute with that smirk on his face. The way his raven hair was uncombed and slightly messy from sleep didn't escape Raymond's eyes either.

"No I can find my room perfectly. I just wanted to say good morning to a cutie like you."

The door slammed shut in his face once again.

"You aren't getting rid of me that easily." Raymond mumbled and filed the mental image of Tseng in the morning away for later use.

  
When Tseng finally heard the footsteps disappear down the hall he heaved a sigh.

"You ARE popular...I might even be jealous." Rufus joked while hiding his amusement behind a bite of pancakes.

"I'm installing a camera outside the door." Tseng replied decidedly.

"Tch, not even going to give the guy a chance? He just told you you were cute, and for the record, I think he's at least not wrong about that."

The look Tseng sent Rufus finally broke him and had him rolling in laughter on the floor.

  
~...~

  
The classes were easy enough at the start, but they quickly turned up the pace at which the materials were being divvied out. Before anyone was fully adjusted, the first tests snuck upon the first year students. Rufus bit his lips in concentration, the takeout food pushed aside to a corner of the desk, his eyes trained on the material to memorize for tomorrow's test. Tseng was in a similar state, eyes closed as he mentally recited material for a different class. Hours later, Tseng finally got up and stretched when he saw that Rufus was still studying. Rufus perused through his notes once more when he felt hands on his shoulders.

"Ru, you need to get some sleep."

"I need to perfect the test tomorrow, or get close to perfect at least."

Tseng perched himself on the side of the desk, glancing down at the meticulous notes that Rufus had written. If he learned anything about Rufus, it was that he was harsh on himself and much more diligent than he lets on.

"What is A xor B?" Tseng suddenly asked. Rufus glanced up at him before answering perfectly.  
"What is A not B?" Rufus answered perfectly again.  
"What is A logical and B if A is 0101 and B is 1010?"   
"0000."

"Good, now go to sleep." Tseng replied before yawning and falling into his own bed, causing it to bounce with his weight.

The next time Rufus turned away from his notes, Tseng was sprawled out diagonally in bed, hair splayed across the sheets, pillow under his arm and blanket nowhere near where it should be. You'd think a Turk that was prim and proper in the day time would also translate to the same thing at night, but as Rufus learned, Tseng was a mess when asleep. He huffed a sigh, walked over to Tseng's bed, and pulled the falling blanket back onto the Turk before heading to bed himself.

  
~...~

  
They both passed the first tests with flying colors, and no doubt there were progress reports being sent to his father back in Midgar right on schedule every week. Rufus was lost in thought. Did his father miss him? Likely not. What was his half-brother up to? SOLDIER must be busy. Sephiroth...it always seemed like his father favored the lab-creation over him. What was Veld up to? Was Reno behaving? Did Heidegger and Scarlet bicker at every meeting like usual?

"Ru---" He was thrown from his musings. He had tuned out Tseng and his friends, now also somewhat his own friends. They didn't really ask much but they were nice enough to include him whenever they were hanging out together. Annie was the most friendly and helpful and he found that he liked Annie's personality. She was open, sweet, unassuming, and funny. Aside from Tseng, Rufus found himself asking Annie for help in situations where he was unfamiliar. 

On Tseng's end, Raymond was still flirting with him at every chance much to his dismay. Tseng hadn't said much about it but he was quietly seething over the dilemma. The hidden camera installed over their door had caught Raymond doing inappropriate things at odd hours outside of their door on video. On more than one occasion, Raymond had attempted to worm his way into their friends' group while they were somewhere public, but had been deflected most of the time. Today was no different. Raymond strolled up to them sitting on the schoolyard lawn.

"Greetings! I see some of my favorite people?" Tseng gritted his teeth silently. Raymond plopped himself down next to Tseng uninvited and Tseng did not bother to acknowledge him. "Are we all studying together or just hanging out?"

Tseng's jaws were starting to hurt from the way he was tensed up. As much as he'd like to just beat Raymond up and let things fall apart, he couldn't lash out while in school, and there was the fact that he shouldn't do unnecessary things that may tarnish Shinra's reputation. 

  
"How are you today, beautiful? I heard you're still making that guy breakfast on the weekends. How rude of him to use you! Know what, I bet I can show you how much better I can treat you." Rufus saw a fist clench when Raymond got into Tseng's personal space. Rufus felt Annie grasp his hand nervously. The sound of helicopter blades caught them off-guard and Shinra 09's silhouette zipped by and was headed towards a more remote part of campus. Rufus squeezed Annie's hand once to reassure her things will be fine. 

"Tseng. Come meet some of my people." Rufus announced loudly and pulled Tseng up before Raymond could get any closer. Tseng dutifully followed and let out a chuckle once they were far enough. "You really didn't have to do that."

"Hah! And how close were you to punching him? Who's visiting today by the way?"

"Rude is on a job and is doing a quick check-in with us at Director Veld's request."

Rude was expected, however, they had two surprise guests. Cissnei launched herself at Tseng and he caught her, but her growing weight knocked them both back into the grass.

"Augh, you're getting heavy...and taller too." Tseng said as he patted her on the head.

"And you look funny with your hair down and without your suit!" She replied cheerfully.

A flow of silver hair caught them both by surprise. Sephiroth stepped out of the helicopter and nodded in greeting. Rude came out of the pilot's side. "Cissnei insisted on coming, could you watch her until after my job?" There was no other way as Tseng could see so he held onto Cissnei who was perfectly content to just cling to him.

"What about you Sephiroth?" Rufus asked the silver-haired SOLDIER.

"The President wanted me to look into something at Junon harbor." Sephiroth was never let out to do fun things.

From afar, the scenery was a bit surreal for those observing. There was Shinra's strongest SOLDIER, along with a Turk, just hanging out on their campus. Tseng's friends decided not to ask when they saw a small girl hanging onto him. Maybe she had something to do with his familiarity with Rufus. Raymond was now seething in a corner for the lost opportunity to talk to Tseng. Damn Rufus Shinra and his silver spoon-fed life! In his mind, there was no way that a Shinra treated Tseng well, not a Wutaiian. But what in the heavens made them so irritating to look at? Was he feeling jealous? Yes, yes he was...he was jealous that Rufus Shinra had daily access to Tseng.

  
~...~

  
"I want to see the ocean!" Cissnei pestered Tseng, sitting on his chest in his bed.

"You saw the ocean on the way into Junon."

"It's not the SAME!" She pouted, then got ultra-sweet, laying on his stomach giving him puppy eyes. "Pleeeeaaaaase? So I can tell Aerith what it's like for real?"

"Tseng, I want to go too." Rufus chimed up after awhile.

"No, didn't you hear what Sephiroth said, they're on a sting operation in Junon harbor."

"We'll avoid the harbor district then." Rufus insisted. "There's more coastline to Junon than just the harbor you know. Like...the actual beach?" 

"You and the beach. Let me look up a safe route then." Tseng sighed when Cissnei caught him in a bear hug.

"Oh and who was that weird guy next to you?" Cissnei asked over her scoop of ice cream.

"Hm?"

"Red haired guy."

Tseng wanted to bury his head in the sand. "No one. Don't remind me."

Rufus was off to the side laughing over his cone. "Oh Tseng didn't tell you? That's his secret admirer!"

"He's very bad at being secret." Cissnei commented. "I didn't know boys liked you Tseng. You are pretty though."

"Well _I_ like him." Rufus chimed in playfully making Tseng almost choke on his bite of ice cream. "He makes really delicious food."

Cissnei's eyes widened. "You haven't cooked for me in ages!! You're making dinner tonight!" 

  
~...~

  
The first year passed week by week in similar fashion. Until the day Rufus got a B on a report. He tore the work up and threw it in the trash bin unceremoniously and buried himself into his blankets. Tseng's never really seen Rufus upset at himself, usually it was something his father had said or done.

"Sir."

"Leave me alone."

"Rufus...." He pulled back Rufus's blanket a bit, only for it to be yanked back up. "It's nothing to be upset about. I'm bad at certain subjects too."

"Your grades won't count against you." Rufus bit back bitterly.

Tseng sighed and sat next to Rufus on his bed, placing a hand on top of the lump under the blanket. "In all honesty, yours won't matter all that much either. You're the heir of an entire empire. Who's going to say no to you or kick you out for getting less than perfect grades?"

"My dad..."

Tseng frowned. That again. "Your dad will not oust you for a single grade in high school. We've all got some weaknesses whether we'd like to admit it or not. Even your father...I mean, what competent man hires someone like Heidegger?" 

There was a small snort under the blanket before a set of blue eyes emerged. "What about you? What does Veld do when you get bad grades? I don't even want to comment on your last project for art class."

"Art is not my forte." 

"And yet you know how to evaluate and report extensively when the Ancient girl draws." Rufus sat up in bed, eyeing Tseng. "Well?"

There was a small smirk on Tseng's face. "Veld makes me redo the work until I get it right when it's in a subject that actually matters."

"That sounds kind of awful."

"It is. May I propose we help each other out where we can? My friends too, we can study together more often."

A smile covered Rufus's face. "Why that sounds great Tseng, you're the best!" Rufus playfully threw the blanket around them both and pulled Tseng in.

"SIR!!"

"Shh, I'm giving you a hug for cheering me up. Also you're nice and warm." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are now rolling for Tseng and Rufus's relationship. Tseng is very tired of Raymond's come on already. Wait till he finds out Tseng is a Turk.


	4. Complicated Relations

The start of the second year was much smoother for every student who managed to get through the first year alive. Classmates turned friends now greeted each other in the hallways and in the dorms. A summer's time went by too quickly and each and every one of the students got back into the beat of the daily drone that was school. 

"So what did you end up doing during summer?" Annie asked Rufus when they were alone in the classroom after class was dismissed for the day.

"I spent the first half of my summer in Costa del Sol and the latter half in Junon at one of Shinra's estates." Rufus looked directly into Annie's eyes. "How about you?"

"Nothing spectacular, I got an internship at my mother's workplace shadowing a nurse. I'm thinking about applying to the medical college in Midgar after I graduate. Did you not go back to Midgar?"

"I did for a bit but I prefer to be away from Midgar when I'm on break." 

"Maybe one day I can see you in Midgar. I missed everyone here, it was boring without friends to talk to...especially you." She replied shyly. The tension in the air was palpable as Rufus took a step forward and closed the distance between them. He leaned in and their lips locked. A few minutes in, Rufus progressed the kiss further, probing her lips with his tongue. She allowed him to explore and they made out in the quietness of the classroom, the only sounds permeating the air were their quiet moans.

  
Tseng noticed that Rufus was in a good mood lately when he returned to the dorms. He twirled around the room before settling next to Tseng on the bed.

"It's still late summer and I'm not sharing my bed till it's actually cold." Last year during winter, Rufus had crawled into Tseng's bed in the middle of the night claiming it was too cold to sleep otherwise. Tseng took it as his duty to keep Rufus warm though it seemed to have started the day after a particularly bad run-in where Raymond cornered Tseng after class that Rufus happened to witness. Rufus had been furious that the guy was trying to lay his hands on Tseng. Tseng knew Rufus was peculiar about what he considers his, and probably became extremely possessive then.

Tseng eyed Rufus carefully. Something was definitely up, he took in a deep breath and analyzed the scent lingering on Rufus's shirt. "You were with Annie." Rufus's lips quirked up in amusement. Leave it to Tseng to figure it out immediately. "I was chatting with her after class, catching up over our summer adventures and all."

"Hmm." Tseng knew it was more than that. He had seen the way the two looked at each other, touching hands and engaging in playful banter. There was definitely some kind of mutual attraction at work. He chose not to write those into the reports to Veld out of respect for Rufus's privacy however. 

The twins knocked on their door then, lugging in a bag of souvenirs from Wutai to share.

"Tseng, remember THESE?" Meilin grinned as she held up a packet of candy. Sour Apple Beans. He HATED those as a kid. "....I don't want those."

Rufus looked on with curiosity. "Tseng, that's so rude. I'll try them!" Much to Tseng's dismay, Rufus opened the package before he could say anything else and dumped an entire handful of the green candies into his mouth. The extreme sourness hit him like a train-wreck and he coughed it out, spitting little candy beads all over the floor. The twins couldn't stop laughing and Tseng just shook his head before getting up to get the broom and dustpan.

"I see..*cough cough* .. why you don't .. *cough cough* .. want these now. This is like .. *cough* .. eating solid vinegar." Rufus croaked in between fits of coughing.

They all gathered for dinner, with Rufus feeling generous and grandiose and treating them all to a restaurant. Malan took notice of the same kind of black engraved card that Rufus used to pay that Tseng had pulled out the year before. This time however, he noticed the logo on the back of the card. The unmistakable Shinra logo flashed at a certain angle under the lights in glittering gold lines over the sleek black. He furrowed his brows in concern as his twin picked up his signal.

"Did you see that card?" Malan commented when Meilin pulled him aside after dinner.

"Yeah Tseng used the same type the first day we were here. Maybe it's from a bank in Midgar?"

"It had the Shinra logo on the back if it is turned the right angle."

"Are you saying....wait...you're saying Tseng is associated with Shinra?"

"I don't know but look at how weirdly close he was to Rufus since the beginning."

Meilin nodded at the assessment. She had seen it too ever since that first cafeteria encounter last year. There seemed to be no natural barrier that Tseng and Rufus had to overcome like the other first years with their respective roommates. It felt counter-intuitive then and was still counter-intuitive even now, that is, unless you account that they might have already known each other for awhile.

"But why would he...he's 16!! Why would he associate with Shinra? Maybe his parents? I can't imagine them wanting to work with Shinra with the war going on at home." They were lucky that their village was remote enough not to be on the path of Shinra's death march into Wutai's territory, but the economic impact to their community was still widely felt.

The next time they tried to ask Tseng about it, they were expertly diverted away from the subject. When Meilin got Annie to ask Rufus, she was similarly deflected with a non-answer. Tseng noticed the steadily increasing weird looks that the twins gave him. It also didn't escape his attention when Annie attempted to ask Rufus the same thing. Both of them had agreed early on that neither will divulge the other's true relationship to anyone on campus - it could potentially be dangerous, even if those asking were their friends.

  
~...~

  
Physical education class was boring on most days, except days like this. Rufus loved when P.E. class was spent in the pool. Tseng looked on as Rufus expertly backstroked from one end of the pool to the other. He himself was capable of doing the same but he didn't like the water as much as Rufus did. To his dismay, his worst nightmare decided to pester him during class. Raymond eyed Tseng's shirtless form in a rather sick manner before approaching.

"Hey there Tseng! Want to race? I bet I can get to the other end of the pool in no time!"

Tseng furrowed his brows, looking around the pool, seeing the dismayed look that Meilin gave him when she spotted Raymond bothering him again. He got off the edge and hopped into the water.

"Oh! Are you taking the challenge? I'll be fair, I promise." Raymond beamed at him, then got into position to start a swimming race. "Ready? Set. GO!" 

Tseng's tall and lithe form darted through the water like Leviathan flowing through oceans. When he reached the other end of the pool, he didn't see Raymond. Not too soon after, he felt hands grabbing at him from under. He glanced down to see the grin Raymond had on his face, trying to grab him by the waist in the pool while underwater. Tseng sent a death glare his way before grabbing onto the side of the pool then sending several strong kicks directly to Raymond's chest, dislodging himself. He then propelled himself towards the other end of the pool before climbing back to where he sat earlier. Rufus was in another part of the pool, holding onto Annie, who apparently hated the deep water. 

Meilin came up to Tseng's side. "So what happened to your stalker?"

"He might have drowned." Tseng replied snarkily. When Raymond resurfaced later, he had very apparent bruises in the shape of feet on his chest.

"Aiyaahh!!" Meilin exclaimed in amusement. "You did that, didn't you?" 

"In self-defense." Tseng smirked before turning his eyes back to Rufus. Rufus was now guiding Annie through the water a little at a time, helping her get over her anxiety of deep water.

"So what's he to you exactly?" Meilin suddenly asked.

"Hm?"

"Don't play dumb, what is Rufus Shinra to you? You are too familiar with each other to be merely roommates." 

Tseng sighed internally. He knew this was going to be asked over and over again. "We were classmates back in Midgar before coming to Junon Academy." He said in a half-truth.

"Oh so you were friends with him then?" Meilin asked curiously.

"Classmates."

"No you're definitely more than just classmates from the way you interact with him." 

Tseng turned his brain cogs quickly. "I helped him with his homework a lot." Not a complete lie but Meilin seemed satisfied with the answer.

"Are you still helping with his homework?" That made Tseng laugh. "Somewhat. He's better at certain subjects than I am though."

"Such as art?" Meilin snickered as she remembered the horrific thing Tseng called modern art in class last month.

"Annie's getting along with him really well." Tseng diverted the subject quickly. 

"Yeah, they've been going on mini dates around campus. They're cute together don't you think?" Meilin seemed absolutely thrilled about it.

"I suppose?"

"You're just jealous because you only have a creepy stalker instead of a cute girlfriend!" Meilin teased. "That reminds me, you've never told me if any cute girls caught your eye in Midgar!" Tseng's expression blanked. What was he supposed to say? He's 16, he's been a Turk since he was 12 turning 13, he was trained for the role since he was 10. The only girls he really knew were either way older or way younger than him, and honestly he wasn't all that interested in dating. The information that Rufus and Annie were dating was new to him but it wasn't that surprising. He had left Rufus alone as much as possible, but did his job of checking the periphery of wherever Rufus happened to be so he hadn't been privy to the kinds of things that Rufus got into with Annie, but he knew on some level that they were getting close. He ran a background check on Annie just in case and there was nothing that came up that would trigger some kind of alarm so he let them be.

"You know some little girls apparently."

"Oh...that was an acquaintance's kid." He fully lied this time about Cissnei. There wasn't much else he really could have said to Meilin. What was he supposed to tell her - that Shinra raised orphans and trained them to become assassins for their benefit? It is the truth but without Veld and Shinra, he would have been left wandering the slums of Midgar by himself as an orphan. His parents did not survive the harshness that was Midgar's streets soon after they moved there and they fell into debt to some pricks in Wall Market's less than respectable lending practices, paying the ultimate price with their lives. Tseng was only 7 years old then and had wandered out of the small apartment complex hungry after a few days when his parents did not return. It was maybe after a few weeks eating out of the leftovers from the trash that restaurants in Wall Market threw out at the end of the day when Veld found him. Meilin did not need to know any of this. He owed his life to Shinra, and he is fully loyal to the ones who are giving him more than a decent living.

  
~...~

  
It was a warm fall afternoon, the leaves on the trees on campus were beginning to turn orange and yellow, blanketing the grasses below with the same colors. While Junon was overall lacking in greenery, the Junon Academy campus kept their gardens thriving. It was a rare treat to be able to spend time in the midst of nature, something Tseng had respected Aerith for. The little girl, despite only being 8 years old, had lectured Tseng so many times on the importance of natural life. Every little thing you see moving has the life blood of the planet. Every blade of grass, every leaf of a tree, every little insect crawling beneath our feet. Tseng had to see the destruction of life with his own eyes to believe her. Mako was being sucked out of the ground there, and he has never actually witnessed so much lack of natural life until moving to Midgar.

The warm fall breeze rustled the leaves blanketing the ground, creating little swirls of yellow and orange floating by. Rufus had planned to study in the midst of it all but he was currently asleep leaning against Tseng who was propped against the trunk of a large tree. The wind picked up the semi-long strands of Tseng's hair, blowing it around haphazardly. He knew his stalker was staring not too far away, but he didn't want to care and ruin his own mood. He intended to have some fun if Raymond was going to ogle at him unashamedly. Tseng placed an arm around Rufus's shoulder, pulling the Shinra heir close so that his head was now nestled at the crook of Tseng's neck. He wound his other arm around Rufus's waist in a show of tender possessiveness. Without even having to look, he could feel the hatred emanating from Raymond's direction. To his amusement, Rufus instinctively wound an arm around his shoulder in his sleep, probably a habit he developed while sharing beds over the colder months last year. Now Raymond was really seething in his badly hidden corner. Tseng felt like laughing out loud but refrained. He bent down and planted a light kiss on Rufus's forehead and patted the blond's head gently before running fingers through the blond hair. Rufus snuggled even closer then. He really was not bad when obliviously asleep and innocent like this. Tseng smiled a little when Rufus's hair tickled his neck when he nuzzled Tseng in his sleep. A few hours later, Rufus found himself waking up from a pleasant nap to a picturesque scene of leaves and Tseng's hair blowing in the wind.

"I fell asleep." Tseng hummed in agreement. Rufus rubbed the sleep from his eyes and suddenly noticed a glare coming from the opposite tree. "...have you been dealing with him again?"

Tseng put a finger against his lips in a shushing motion. "I've been toying with him. Sorry but I used you as a prop. I hope you don't mind."

"How many times have we already pretended for you Tseng?" Rufus brushed his hand against Tseng's face, cheekily winked at him before planting a kiss on Tseng's lips. He really didn't mind doing this. Tseng was ridiculously good looking afterall and he appreciated people of any gender as long as he likes them. Rufus turned one eye towards Raymond and watched the guy turn an interesting shade of pink before running off. "Well then, shall we get back to the dorms before either one of us catches a cold?"

  
~...~

  
The next time Rude visited, Aerith jumped out of the helicoptor. Tseng was surprised as he did not expect Shinra to allow Aerith out of Midgar. Rude shrugged before telling him that Aerith apparently made Profesor Hojo a deal to let her come to Junon to see Tseng in exchange for a day of observation in the lab. Tseng really didn't like the sound of that, but a little freedom for the girl once in awhile may be for the best. 

"Wow there are SO MANY PLANTS!" She exclaimed excitedly at her surroundings. He took her to every garden patch around campus until she was tired from walking. She held onto Tseng's hand the entire time, swinging and twirling till she was finally out of energy. Tseng carried her the rest of the way until he put her back on the helicoptor back to Shinra HQ.

  
"Are you sure you don't run a childcare service in Midgar?" Meilin asked the next time she saw him. Maybe that should be his excuse as to what his "family" does in Midgar...run a childcare business. He felt like he did anyways with constantly having to rein in Aerith, Cissnei, Reno, and Rufus.

  
He started finding Rufus more and more often with Annie, sometimes not returning to the dorms till very late, making him concerned. He trailed them one night but backed away when he found them kissing under the moonlight behind the dorms. Maybe he needs to remind Rufus to be more discreet. There are other night-owls roaming campus afterall, and he did not need the tabloids to report on the Shinra heir in a compromising position with a girl while under his watch.

  
Rufus saw Annie back to her room a little past midnight. It had been a good evening. He first studied after class, then dined with Annie before inviting her out to stargaze. They ended up making out like they usually did when they were alone under the shine of the full moon, with autumn's slightly chilly night air surrounding them. Tseng was already asleep like he expected. He was grateful that the Turk kept his word about giving him space. He was really starting to enjoy the relationship he had with Annie, and Tseng was mindful enough to give him some privacy. He sat down at the edge of Tseng's bed. As usual, his blanket had been strewn about in various directions, now twisted twice in the middle, his pillow askew with hair splattered across his face, and he was still sleeping through it all. Rufus chuckled and brushed the hair out of Tseng's face gently, being careful not to wake him. On a whim, he decided to join Tseng in bed. It felt like he's been spending most of his free time with Annie and almost no time with his friend. He grabbed the other pillow from his bed and spread the blanket over them both. It was strange but having Tseng physically close made him feel good and very safe. He drifted off to sleep with those thoughts.

  
~...~

  
It was the second half of second year when Rufus found that Tseng's been on and off "dating" Meilin. Not that he minded, but he was surprised it had escaped his notice. The day he found out he had been out with Annie himself, returning to the dorms. When he opened their door, Tseng had gasped and pulled back from what was obviously a make out session. Meilin was nestled in his lap and Tseng's face turned a bright red. Rufus just laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "Should I leave you love birds alone? I can go accompany Annie instead."

As good as that sounded, Tseng pulled Meilin up and gave her an apologetic look. After Meilin left their room, Rufus raised his eyebrows at Tseng's still obvious arousal. "I didnt know you were capable of normal human sexual function." Tseng said nothing back in his defense. Rufus prodded. "What was wrong with me spending the night in Annie's room and you being here with Meilin?" 

To that, Tseng actually answered. "I have a duty to you Sir. I cannot leave you overnight somewhere where you could potentially be in danger." 

Rufus guffawed at his answer. "What makes you think I'm not in trouble when I'm out with Annie alone?"

Tseng smirked. "You wouldn't have stayed within my line of vision from the window if you didn't think I'd be out to look for you." 

Dammit, Tseng knew. Tseng just knew he kept within their window frame just in case - and the damned teen Turk would probably jump out the window to his rescue if he ever needed it. Such is their complicated relation. It wasn't bad though, not bad at all in Rufus's opinion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting heated! Both teens are experiencing a little bit of romance separately but wait for the twist in later chapters! The twins are picking up on Tseng's Shinra affiliation...


	5. Special Occasion

Third year came by faster than anyone imagined. The hustle and bustle of usual school activities were now mixed with college prep decisions. This was about the age at which those from more upper-class families started socializing their teens for marriage potential as well. There are clear pairs forming within their graduating class. Rufus stuck with Annie despite the tabloids' love of reporting him as a playboy. Anyone who really knew him would know the tabloid pieces were just rumors created to increase magazine sales revenue. He was still a buzz on campus for new students but was no longer a novelty to the other classes like when he first came to the Academy. Tseng was still dating Meilin but he wasn't letting his relationship get in the way of anything but nonetheless he appreciated her presence. 

The course work picked up pace and suddenly became harder than before. Was this the transitional period between high school-level and college-level courses that every senior warned them about? 

Rufus clawed at his hair in frustration as he perused through the history textbook. "This is ludicrous! This is Shinra's version of what happened. Does no one actually know what happened during the Gongaga Clash?" 

Tseng glanced up across the room from his own studies. "The textbooks are only going to cover what was officially approved to be published." 

"And Veld's approving this stuff now?" Rufus asked as he leaned back in his chair.

Tseng kept quiet for a few minutes. "Actually, I am." 

Rufus sent him a look of surprise. "You are?"

"Veld's been putting a lot of the actual administrative work on me. I approve almost every Shinra-affiliated publication." That explained the random volumes of magazines and STAMP books that were mailed to Tseng that he kept in a collection - usually before they showed up in bookstores. 

"Well, you have more power than I do then." Rufus commented. "Look at you rewriting the history books in Shinra's favor."

Tseng rolled his eyes. That was his job, to preserve the well-being of the Shinra Electric Company - that included media censorship among other more questionable means. There were things that Tseng knew that the wider public would never hear about - hidden in the locked section of the Shinra Corporate Archives and the Turks' HQ. Amongst them was the fact that the Shinra family was the founding family for modern day humans on their planet and that their species had originally migrated from another planet millions of years ago. Perhaps he felt a sense of loyalty to Shinra as their founding fathers, literally.

"Can you also write Heidegger, Scarlet, and Hojo out of Shinra's history books?" Rufus mused while clicking the pen in his hand. Tseng wished he could just eliminate Hojo entirely. "No. I'm not that powerful."

  
~...~

  
Tseng never intended to date when he first entered the academy, but it became a different story when he got further along in school life. It was going to be a shortlived lifestyle but as Rufus would say to him - _life is short and you'll only be a teenager once_. He'd disagree with Rufus if he felt like arguing based on what Aerith has been telling him but arguing with Rufus was often a lost cause. He had a hard time trusting just anyone, and things just clicked when it was his childhood friend who showed up in his life again unexpectedly. Meilin bravely deflected Raymond's advances on his behalf much to his surprise. He didn't think the quiet and shy tyke would grow up to be such a fighter. She had a bite to her if you provoked her enough - and as he is finding out, that seemed to be his type. After a couple of encounters, even Raymond kept his distance when she was around. She proved to be quite spicy when they were alone as well, often rousing Tseng enough for him to almost lose control, but he reined himself in with difficulty each time. He liked the attention and she seemed to enjoy getting a reaction out of him - she kept her gaze steady while doing the most un-innocent things to him. There were days where he had to stop things in its tracks and later relieve himself in the privacy of his own dorm shower. To his embarrassment, Rufus would take pleasure in telling him how loud he got right before the end while taking care of his need . Rufus seemed to always know when it happens and it stopped bothering him after awhile. Such was life with roommates.

Similarly, he actively ignored the noises when Rufus decided to bring Annie into their room. At first Annie was shy about it and Rufus always ended up buying Tseng something nice after as an apology for being noisy, but seeing how Tseng didn't seem to care and could sleep through most things, they eventually just put up a fabric partition between the two sides of the room and let things be. Tseng felt better about Rufus taking Annie into their room rather than hanging out somewhere outside anyway. It meant there's less of a chance of danger coming to Rufus unexpectedly where he could fail to approach for a rescue in time. He kept their room neat for that reason, nothing Annie could see with a quick scan of the room could give away his identity. His guns and other weapons were locked away in a cabinet on his side of the room. His Turks uniform hung in the very back of the closet - which the door was almost always closed. The makeup set that Turks used was also put away. He hadn't touched any of those items in a long time. The only thing he kept on him was his Shinra ID card. He couldn't just leave that laying around.

Annie glanced down at Rufus who was smiling up at her. She had been madly in love with him for over a year now. She didn't know what she did in her last life to deserve the attention of Rufus Shinra, but she wasn't complaining. They made out in his bed in the dark, fumbling slowly as to not make too much noise. Tseng was already asleep on the other side of the room like usual, tuned out of what they were doing. She brought her hand lower and rubbed slowly, massaging Rufus through his underwear till he was fully erect. Rufus let out a few quiet moans. The tension in the air was straining. She had done this to him a few times now but they've never gone further. Her body and her raging teenage hormones wanted him badly and it was very likely Rufus felt the same. He stimulated her after a few minutes of her ministrations on him and the sounds of their panting broke the silence of the night. Annie let out a small scream when Rufus brought her to orgasm. She glanced down at him in the moonlight. She hadn't yet gotten him to climax. She leaned down to kiss him, freed his cock from his underwear, and pulled aside her own panties before attempting to rub herself on him. Rufus froze for a second when he felt her warm and wet entrance, then suddenly sat up and removed himself from bed before facing the fabric room partition instead. Annie was disappointed. Had she pushed her luck? Was this not what Rufus wanted afterall?

"I-I'm sorry. I just didn't want to go that far yet." Rufus whispered to her as he turned around and gave her a hug instead. She nodded in his embrace even though she was a bit upset at his actions. 

"Can I at least do something for you?" She asked hopefully and was awarded with an answer she liked. He laid back down on the bed and she proceeded to use her mouth on him. 

Tseng laid wide awake as the sounds coming from Rufus's side of the room got increasingly louder. Wet and slippery sounds mixed with Rufus's panting and moans until he let out a loud groan before everything went quiet again. Soon after, he heard the sound of their door opening and closing and Annie seemed to have left for the night. Rufus came by his bedside and was about to place his fallen blanket back onto him when he stopped. "You're awake aren't you?" Tseng turned around to face him. "How did you know?" Rufus made a winded laugh through his nose before answering. "Because you snore just a little when you're asleep. Sorry you had to hear all that."

Tseng sat up in bed and pulled Rufus down with him. "You need to go to sleep Sir. It's nearly 2 AM." He said in his deep voice and Rufus smirked before snuggling up to Tseng. He let out a small gasp when he felt Tseng's erection pressed against him then calmly turned around and started to kiss the Turk. Tseng returned the kiss without struggle or question. When they broke from the kiss, Tseng suddenly muttered "This is in the name of science." causing Rufus to curl up in laughter before being pulled into another kiss - their hands were roaming everywhere and their moans echoed in the dark.

  
~...~

  
Meilin ran her fingers through Tseng's long hair. She loved that Tseng lets his hair grow out. It was a secret guilty pleasure whenever she got to run fingers through the smooth locks. He was asleep in her lap, both of them sitting in a sunny part of the lawn on this nice spring day. The scent of flowers from the gardens permeated the air as buds became blossoms in the warming weather.

Tseng apparently had a late night yesterday in preparation for exams today, which he said he aced after class. He looked completely peaceful as he fell asleep laying against her after classes were over. There were fewer days now where they all hung out together since Rufus was often with Annie while she was with Tseng, accompanied by the fact that everyone's school work had gotten more difficult this year, the social aspect of things were negatively affected. Tseng turned in his sleep, tossing himself over and rolled off of her leg onto the grass. She spotted his wallet that had fallen out of his pocket when he moved. Clumsy. She picked it up and was about to put it back when her curiosity got the better of her. She opened the wallet instead. The sleek black card that he used to pay for things was there and sure enough, the Shinra logo was on the back when she turned it a certain way. A stack of gil were folded into the cash sleeve of the wallet. A white card stuck in a back slot caught her eyes and she pulled it out slowly. **Shinra Employee #033----**

She gasped and slipped it back into his wallet before she could read the rest and quickly stuffed the wallet back into his pocket. She stared at him in alarm and disbelief. Two and a half years and he never said anything about it. She felt betrayed....her childhood friend was working for the company that was destroying their homeland. But that didn't even make sense! Tseng had just barely turned 17, how could he be a Shinra employee at that age? It made even less sense if he was already employed when he first arrived at the academy. Everything about this seemed illogical and bothered her. 

Tseng was oblivious to her internal distress when he woke up and gave her a gentle kiss before inviting her to dinner. She politely declined and informed him that she already had plans for the night. She left him in the grassy lawn then walked off. That was when Raymond decided to approach Tseng. He started blabbering something that Tseng automatically tuned out. A few minutes later, his PHS rang and he pulled it out to see Veld's name flashing on the screen. He wordlessly put the phone up to his ear and the Director's voice flowed from the other side of the line. 

"Tseng, the President had arranged for a spring gala to be held at the Upper Junon estate next Saturday at 6:00 PM. He had requested that Rufus attend on his behalf. Invitations are being sent out now. Can you accompany him on official business?"

"Of course."

"Good, I'll call again with full security details. I am arranging a Shinra vehicle to be dropped off on campus the night before. Do you have your driver's license?"

"Yes."

"Excellent. That's all."

The call finished and Raymond was still blathering off to the side, but looked to be annoyed that Tseng took a call instead of listen to what he had to say. Tseng ignored Raymond and walked away while dialing Rufus's number.

  
Rufus came back in earlier than expected. "What did you need?"

"Director Veld called today. There's a Shinra-sponsored party that your father asked for your attendance to next Saturday." 

Rufus gave him a blistered look, sighing dramatically. "You pulled me away from my girlfriend just for this? Where's yours by the way?"

Tseng spotted Meilin and her brother out of the corner of his eyes outside the window. He thought she had plans? They were talking amongst themselves, Meilin was looking distressed and possibly even angered. What happened? He pointed Rufus towards the window.

"She looks upset....what did you do?" 

Tseng shrugged. "I didn't do anything. Anyways, we need to get you to a tailor ASAP. It's for a spring gala so choose your outfit accordingly." Not that it mattered what occasion it was for, Rufus Shinra's attire was going to be white, but he tended to change up the style for different types of parties. "Also, I'll be in attendance officially as a Turk. I'll have the vehicle ready outside the dorms by 4:45 PM on Saturday."

The next time he glanced out of the window, Meilin seemed to have calmed down although she still had a withered, tired look on her face. He really should find out what was wrong sooner rather than later.

Despite his attempts the next few days, she seemed to be making extra effort to avoid him. He gave up around Thursday. Maybe she was on her monthly, maybe it was a random women and emotions thing that he just didn't understand.

Friday evening had the entire dorm abuzz with rumors. An official black Shinra-issued vehicle had pulled into campus and was parked in a lot near the dorms. A blond female Turk stepped out and went directly into the dorm building but left alone before nightfall, leaving the shiny vehicle.

Raymond glanced out of the window and scoffed at the showing of wealth. Shinra shminra, he was going be there too due to his father pushing the invitation onto him last minute to represent the Trinity Mining Company. His friends seemed envious that he was attending a Shinra party, but he's been to a few before and they were pretty much all the same. He would rather stay on campus, perhaps spot Tseng and talk to him as long as that girl with the temper of a tiger wasn't around. He rubbed his chest in contemplation. There were still some remnants of the bruise that Tseng had left on his chest weeks ago and he wore it like a badge of honor. If it hadn't hurt so much, it would have been hot - Tseng kicking him with those lovely long legs.

  
~...~

  
"Hold still!!" Tseng chided as he clipped the last belt onto Rufus's outfit. Rufus Shinra's outfits were puzzles in their own right. If one didn't know how it was designed to be worn, one would have a hard time figuring out how to put it together. Tseng always thought some of Rufus's outfits looked like kimonos the way he layered up underneath the jacket. Presently, it didn't help the situation as Rufus had an itch he craved to scratch from a mosquito bite while Tseng was trying to help him get into his outfit. When Rufus was finally dressed, Tseng pulled his own uniform out of the closet. It has been a long time since he's worn his suit. They had to tailor him a new one during the summer as he outgrew his last one. Rufus has also been gaining height and was now almost as tall as Tseng. 

"I'm going to be taller tonight." Rufus said smugly as he slipped on his new boots.

Tseng hummed as he looked into the mirror and drew the fine lines onto his eyelids before applying a layer of eye shadow for effect. The dark makeup instantly turned his youthful facial features into his Turk façade, giving him extra intimidation factor. He knotted his tie expertly before digging his shoes out of the back of the closet. After he put them on and stood up, Rufus had the biggest pout of his life. _They were the same height_. 

Tseng turned away to hide his amusement before going to look for a hair tie. Rufus beat him to it and found one in a random drawer and pulled Tseng to sit down at the edge of the bed. Rufus fixed his hair into a high ponytail, quite a bit longer now that he's grown his hair out, while he armed himself for the job - communications device - check, gun and ammo - check, knife - check, emergency supplies - check, pins - check. He stuck several pins into a layer of his hair. Lastly, he grabbed his wallet and the car key that Emma dropped off last night. 

"Alright Sir, meet me downstairs in about 15 minutes. It should take just a little under an hour to get there from here. We'll arrive right before the gala starts."

Meilin was looking out the window forlornly. She had avoided Tseng for almost a week now. Her emotions were still in toil. Her brother had comforted her the day it happened, using logic to try to take apart how ridiculous it was for Tseng to be a Shinra employee. Maybe it was a play badge he had as a joke. She's never seen an official Shinra ID card anyways so how does she know it wasn't some kind of novelty from Midgar? She sighed and shook her head at the sad state of her emotions. How did her childhood friend just break her heart like that? She thought she was strong but apparently some things can still break her. This was a deep psychological wound at work - one that would drive one countryman to hate another for no good reason when there was war history between their lands. How silly it was...two people, even if the war had nothing to do with them personally, would simply hate each other because of affiliation. And now she's stooping to that same low.

She chewed on her lips as the thoughts repeated in her head. The sight of a sharp suit caught her eyes outside the window, and she found herself staring at the lithe form. A Shinra Turk. There was something familiar about the aura of the person. She watched the form as he walked across campus towards the parking lot where the Shinra-issue vehicle was parked. Something clicked in her brain when the long dark ponytail blew in the wind. TSENG? She climbed onto the window sill for a better look and gasped when he turned around and his tilak showed. He looked different - very different. There was an air of danger to him. He started the vehicle and a little later, the car pulled up to the front of the dorms and an overly dressed Rufus Shinra stepped out and was escorted away in the most professional manner.

She was speechless. Tseng was not just any Shinra employee - he was a Turk. At age 17, he was driving the Shinra heir to some event that was rumored to happen tonight in a luxury Shinra vehicle. How many of their peers had driving privilege? Most were just learning how to drive if their families could even afford such. Everything mysterious about Tseng and Rufus the past two and a half years suddenly made sense. She's been played - everything was a lie.

  
~...~

  
Rufus started the event off with a prepared speech. The standard mish mash of greetings, a laundry list of Shinra's accomplishments and endeavors, and finally a thank you to all the guests in attendance. He hated doing these on his father's behalf but unfortunately for him he was also a natural at it. Tseng and Emma were off to the side. They had conducted a full site security check prior to Rufus taking the stage. The security check on incoming guests was performed by standard Shinra troops. 

Raymond looked around the crowded room. There were a couple of faces he recognized from previous parties he's attended before. These were mostly the same kinds of people, but he was there for politically aligned socialization. Rufus Shinra might be known as a spoiled brat, but he sure was good at giving speeches. Raymond downed the champagne he had in his hand. He wasn't supposed to drink at his age, but nobody was checking and he had planned to call for a taxi back. He started going around for conversation after the speeches ended. There was Liret - their rival company. Ah and Krymer Weapons Co's CEO was not too far off. There were unsurprisingly multiple heavy weapons manufacturing subcontractors present. Is that the fat guy from the Space Division? He didn't know the space division was still a thing. Last he heard, President Shinra had halted work at the Space Division. Maybe he'll go find out more as they had needed a large supply of materials that Trinity Co. mines for on their projects in the past. He circled the array of guests till he was done talking to everyone his father had an interest in and sat down in a chair sipping on more champagne. He should actually go talk to Rufus, but he's already ruined that relationship with the Shinra heir - not to mention he still found the entire Wutai war distasteful. That hasn't stopped his father from yelling at him each summer about the importance of maintaining good relations with Shinra though. Maybe once he's downed enough alcohol he'll go talk to Rufus. He looked around the large party room. Rufus was easy enough to spot with his ridiculous fashion. He was currently talking to a group of people who were seemingly captured by Rufus's charm. Raymond scowled from afar and plastered a bored look on his face. He scanned the room once more. There was that blond Turk that had dropped the Shinra car off last night. She was standing by the entrance of the party room, her eyes watching the crowd like a hawk. She didn't particularly stand out but he supposed that was naturally what Turks did. There were several regular Shinra security people in the front and back of the room. They all look the same, and according to his friend who lives in Midgar, they were pretty incompetent despite all their gear and getup - foot soldiers for show mostly. The weapons they held were more deadly but were rarely used to their full potential. Yet another wasteful thing that Shinra had plenty of for show. His sight roamed to the other end of the room. There was another Turk on the other side - tall, deadly-looking, and Wutaiian. Wait what? Raymond squinted his eyes to get a better look before sitting back with his mouth agape.

Rufus Shinra had a Turk with him this entire fucking time and he had not seen through it. He looked even better with the added look of danger. He put his glass down on a server's tray and walked towards Tseng.

  
Tseng was keeping an eye closely on Rufus when he spotted a guest heading directly towards himself. "Incoming 12 o'clock." Emma's voice sounded in his ear piece.

He quickly replied. "I see him. I can deal with this one." He actually did not want to deal with this one, but he's on the job and he can't just leave. Raymond Trinity stood in front of him after wading across the room. "Hmph...I see how it is." Tseng kept his face straight and expression serious and did not take his eyes off of Rufus, ignoring the way Raymond was staring at him.

"You're not even going to try to talk to me? Well, you've had plenty of fun making me look like a fool the last two years. Of course Rufus fucking Shinra had a bodyguard this whole time....." Raymond rambled on. He was clearly a little bit drunk. "By the way, you look even cuter than usual."

There was a snicker from his earpiece and he sent Emma a look, signaling her discreetly by hand to keep her eyes on Rufus instead.

"Geezus Tseng, talking to you is like talking to a wall." Raymond mumbled and almost stumbled into him when he tripped on his feet. Tseng righted the drunk man. Raymond reached a hand out, trying to pull Tseng's hair out of its tie. "You look better without that." 

Tseng's gloved hand gripped Raymond's tightly. "Sir, I'm going to ask you politely to step away right now."

"Psshhtt don't give me that tone." Raymond said as he waved his hands around the air before trying to approach again.

"You will be forcefully removed from the premise otherwise Sir." Tseng replied in a very practiced diplomatic tone while moving just out of reach.

Raymond smiled at him with a goofy look on his face. "Aww look at you being all professional." 

Tseng knit his brows together in annoyance. "Sir please. Unless....you'd like me to report you to the school for drinking while underage." Tseng dropped his voice to an even deeper tone.

There was a crashing sound then. Tseng looked up in alarm, pushing Raymond aside to quickly assessed the situation. Someone had dropped a glass of wine and it shattered behind Rufus who was now bent over with blood streaming from one of his legs. A guy was approaching Rufus from behind. "EMMA!" Tseng yelled into the communications device. "ON IT!" She ran through the crowd with ungodly speed and knocked the man onto the floor with a swift kick to the legs. Tseng got there two steps later and stepped on the man's chest with his reinforced boots at a pressure point that would prevent him from easily getting back up. Emma was already putting handcuffs on him and Tseng pointed his gun at the man's face. Once the troublemaker was subdued and taken away, Tseng quickly turned to help Rufus. He smiled a little at Tseng but it was wiped away when Rufus showed pain on his face.

"Sir."

"Th-there's some glass that got into my leg." Rufus gritted out.

Tseng pulled the knife from his sleeve and began cutting away the fabric closest to where a piece of glass jutted out. He activated a stop materia on Rufus. "This will hurt but hopefully the spell will make it less painful." He grabbed onto the end of the glass piece with his cut-proof gloves and quickly pulled, he did the same for the other pieces he could see before wrapping the wounds up with the cut pieces of fabric from Rufus's pants. He then activated curaga before picking Rufus up off the floor and carrying him into a side guest room before doing a more thorough examination for other wounds. Emma kept watch outside for potential other dangers.

"Do you feel any other pieces in there Ru?" Tseng asked as he prodded gently, earning hisses and groans of pain. 

"No I think you got all of it...good thing our glasses are high quality and don't shatter into tiny bits." Rufus still had a sense of humor, which was a good sign. "Was there was a motive behind this?" Rufus asked as Tseng administered a few potions to further heal the wounds.

"I don't know. He didn't seem particularly skilled nor was he armed otherwise. Emma will find out soon through interrogation. Take this, it's a preventative measure." Tseng pulled out an antidote from his jacket and made Rufus drink it in case there was poison involved.

  
Raymond was in a bit of shock at the commotion. He was learning that being a Shinra was no easy task, but the Turks were highly efficient and it was eye-opening to see Tseng and the blond woman rush to Rufus's side and take out the problem in no time. Tseng was apparently well-versed in using materia as well - not a skill just anyone has. He sat at the base of the wall where Tseng had pushed him aside in a rush. Life was so unfair...his crush was a fucking Shinra Turk, a damned good one who was too hot for his own good. He valued his own life and was smart enough even in his drunken state to know that Tseng was not someone he should continue to mess with. God damn it all. Raymond downed a couple more glasses of wine before leaving the party.

  
Rufus was back in the ballroom half an hour after the small incident. The guests were shocked at first but were thrilled when Rufus came back into the room. If one didn't pay attention, one wouldn't have noticed that he had a new pair of pants on. Emma and Tseng took their respective positions again but Tseng decided to stick just a bit closer to Rufus this time.

  
~...~

  
He paused as they neared their dorm room. Meilin was glaring at him in the dimly lit hall while standing next to their door. It was just past midnight and she shouldn't be here at this hour. He was still in his Turks uniform with the full getup and it suddenly hit him why she might have been skittish lately. He stepped out in front of Rufus instinctively.

"You. Deceived. Me." She spit out each word like venom as she approached and backed him into the wall, pinning him against the chalky structure. She looked into his intense eyes enhanced with black eyeliner, he gazed back at her steadily. She was on the verge of tears as she wrapped her arms around his waist. She missed him, she didn't know how to deal with her feelings nor how to approach him after she had seen his Shinra ID card and now seeing him in the infamous Turks' suit. Her hand brushed against a hard lump underneath his perfectly tailored jacket - a gun in a holster with what felt like slotted materia on the handle. She gazed up with widened eyes, her mouth was open but she was silent and she looked frightened, her hands fell from his sides and she slowly backed away before storming off down the hallway.

Tseng was quiet as he watched her disappear.

"You didn't tell her anything did you?" Rufus's voice sounded next to him as he placed a hand on Tseng's shoulder. Tseng shook his head before guiding Rufus back into their dorm. He still needed to write up an urgent report on the incident to Veld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof.
> 
> Teen Tseng and Rufus are so cute and are now finally getting physically intimate themselves.
> 
> Also Turk Tseng is lovely.
> 
> Next chapter is spicy for Tseng and Rufus ^_~


	6. The Incident

Fourth year felt like it was drenched in heaviness. There was the weight of graduation and the future pending on top of everything else. For Tseng, the heaviness came with a dull pain. He knew at some point his status as a Turk would have gotten out but he didn't imagine it to be like that. Meilin has not talked to him since that night last semester and by default, her brother and his roommate has stopped talking to him as well. Tseng wasn't usually social but it bothered him a little. Maybe it was the fact that it wasn't just his, but Rufus's school life that got affected as well. Rufus has been depending more on him as a study partner this semester, mostly because their regular group had fallen apart. The only positive was that Rufus and Annie were still hanging out in private, but things haven't progressed on their end. As far as Tseng could tell, it was because Rufus have always had a disdain for how his father had handled relationships and did not want to become the same. It felt a little ironic that he knew the exact reason for Rufus's behavior yet Rufus was probably confounding and frustrating the poor girl by holding back on his end. Annie avoided talking to him mostly and Tseng couldn't fault her, but it made it hard to tell what her true feelings were. It seemed like she left in disappointment every time Rufus parried her advance. Their dynamic stayed like that throughout the first half of fourth year.

  
It was yet another late night of studying for Meilin. It didn't help that she had no outlet for the academic stress. P.E. class could only do so much to help her destress. She hasn't been with anyone since Tseng and her broke up. _What was he up to right now? NO!! Bad thoughts!!!_ She chided herself. Her mind had wandered numerous times already and there were a few occasions when she could see his tall figure walking across the school yard from her window - fetching groceries for Rufus, fetching take out for Rufus, fetching WHATEVER for Rufus. There were also the occasional visits from Midgar where Turks and the random child would show up. That was still a mystery but at this point she didn't care to hear the story behind it. She sighed as she closed her books a little past midnight. Annie's still been hanging out with Rufus and it wasn't really her business to judge her roommate on her dating choices but she remembers the look on Annie's face every time she's returned to the dorms lately. That was a look of disappointment.

  
Tseng yawned, letting out heat whirling into the cool fall night air. In his hand was a fresh cup of coffee that he had gotten on the way back to the dorms. Veld had called him half an hour earlier with something urgent. There's been a desertation at SOLDIER and all of Shinra's security forces have been put on high alert. He was specifically to be on the lookout for Genesis Rhapsodos and raise the warning level on Rufus's safety. Genesis had always been a mystery - the red-haired SOLDIER was as enigmatic as they came, citing LOVELESS poems with every bit of free time he had. Sephiroth had once told him that his fellow SOLDIER drove him nuts. Sephiroth was lab-created but was the most calm and collected SOLDIER Tseng's ever met. The only other calm person he knew from the SOLDIER department was Rufus's older half-brother, Lazard - and Rufus hated his guts. Tseng was amused by the thought - Rufus Shinra, with his carefully curated calm façade, getting angry over an illegitimate half-brother.

The moon tonight was a bright slit in the sky only a few days emerged from the day of the new moon. He stopped to admire its form and the wisps of clouds that framed the sky. The constellations that he loved as a child was also on full display. Nowadays this was a rare sight to be seen. He could see the moon from the Shinra building in Midgar, but rarely was the view not polluted with the green tint of Mako. He stopped to chill for a bit in the night air. Course workload was getting heavy and Rufus had been stressed out from it, he's had to stay up with Rufus multiple nights a week to help him with his classes. He didn't mind doing it but he was used to getting enough sleep and these past few weeks just haven't been good to him. He sighed as his coffee warmed him against the chilled air surrounding him - whomever invented hot drinks was a genius.

  
Annie stormed out of Rufus's room, Rufus followed closely behind. "Annie, please." She walked at a pace that even Rufus had a hard time keeping up with. "Annie." She finally stopped halfway down the hall and turned to face him. "You don't really want me." She said without looking at him directly. Rufus's mouth opened and closed. He contemplated how to answer her. "No.. I just don't want to get that far, there's no other reason." There was another reason, it was fear of fathering bastard children that he hated his father so much for, but that's not something he could tell the girl he's been dating. They verbally went back and forth for a couple of minutes before Annie bid him good night and went off on her own. Rufus stood alone in the dimly lit hall, looking a little lost as to what to do. That's when he realized he didn't bring his room key when he followed Annie out in a hurry. He sighed. Tseng was still out somewhere taking a call from HQ...he should go look for him. Someone was looking through their keyhole at him unbeknownst to Rufus. Annie had stopped in front of Raymond Trinity's room when their bickering started.

  
The moon rabbit was a legend that was told many a times when he was growing up. He never really saw a rabbit shape in the moon however. There were rumors that there was a pretty lady caretaker in the moon too. A hand grabbed the coffee cup out of his grip and he was startled. Tseng glanced back and relaxed when he saw Rufus behind him, chugging what was the rest of his coffee. 

"Sir...what are you doing out here without a jacket?"

"What are you doing out here just staring at the sky?"

"Moon rabbits..." Tseng started then realized how ridiculous he sounded when Rufus gave him a strange look. ".....nevermind."

"Hmm. As to your question, I locked myself out of the dorm so I came looking for you."

Tseng looked at Rufus alarmed for a minute, and then noticed the slightly troubled expression on his face. He pulled Rufus close to keep him warm and they went back to the dorms. Once they've settled down and warmed back up, Tseng started asking questions. Rufus spilled that he and Annie had an argument. Tseng's always had a feeling a day like this would eventually come up but he didn't really want to intervene in Rufus's personal affairs. Rufus sighed dramatically after explaining his fear of fathering bastard children. 

"Well Sir...you could have gone further with her if you really wanted to, there is such a thing as protection." 

"If I'm going to do it I want to feel things." 

Tseng snorted. The duality that was Rufus Shinra. "Well then I have no solution unless she is taking pills."

"How far did you ever go with Mei......err sorry I shouldn't have asked." Rufus pulled back the question apologetically.

Tseng shook his head. "It's fine. Like you, I also wasn't keen on having a mini-me. So I never went far with her. Anyways, Veld informed me that there's been a desertation at SOLDIER. Your safety has been put on high alert, so stick close."

Rufus raised an eyebrow but didn't say much else. Tseng's real job was to keep him safe so he wasn't going to try to make his job harder. SOLDIERs on the the loose was no joke either. The past month they've stayed up a lot to try to get him past his course work and he was thankful for Tseng's help. They were already done with school work tonight but now neither could sleep because of the coffee.

"Tseng why did you pick a strong coffee this late?"

"I wanted something warm."

"You could have picked tea."

"....."

Rufus knew Tseng was a coffee addict but refused to admit it. He pushed Tseng down onto the bed.

"Well at least keep me company till we can fall asleep?" Talking about nothing and everything till they fell asleep has become a common thing and Rufus very much enjoyed it. He's planning to ask Tseng about moon rabbits tonight.

  
~...~

  
It was the day after winter exams were over. The school hosted a party for those graduating next summer in the dorms. It already felt like senioritis was widespread with both the winter holidays coming up and graduation only one more semester away. The lounge at the ground floor of the dorms was decorated whimsically in the spirit of the holidays. Rufus wandered around the room and realized how many people he recognized now versus when he first arrived. It was a strange warm feeling to see so many people he knew quite a bit more about. He has grown much taller since three years ago and now was the same height as Tseng. He may even surpass the Turk in height one day - he hopes. Tseng was on standby near him and indulged very little at the party. Rufus was socializing with his peers, a specialty he's picked up with more and more practice as he was attempting to widen his social circle for Shinra's benefit. He felt some dismay when his eyes landed on the Wutaiian twins. Tseng did not seem bothered that they had stopped talking to him but Rufus knew that deep down Tseng was an emotional person and this most likely bothered him to some level. Maybe he could talk to them instead. He walked up to the twins and greeted them informally. They nodded back at him, but was otherwise too formal and rigid. It felt like when others hear that he was Rufus Shinra for the first time. He chatted with them for a few minutes about school stuff but decided it wasn't the right time to try to work out their issue with Tseng yet. He felt Tseng tense up as his eyes followed him around the room and relax once he was done talking to the twins. _So it did bother him afterall_. 

Annie sat at a corner table, twiddling a small packet of stuff in her hand. She's been watching Rufus walk around talking to people at the party.

_This is a mineral salt powder, it is powerful however if you really want a guy to physically want you._

The alluring words echoed in her head. Raymond had given her the packet after class one day. After doing her own research since she was skeptical of him, she found out it truly was a powerful aphrodisiac on men - a popular one amongst teens and within clubs.

_All you have to do is take it with a glass of water, then kiss him - he'll be all over you within the half hour._

She tore open the packet and dumped it into the glass of water in front of her and gulped it down.

  
It took awhile but Rufus finally spotted her sitting alone in the corner table and approached. He sat down next to her quietly, gauging her mood. She looked up at him - there was a fierce thirsty look in her eyes and her gaze was piercing right into him. He smiled a little internally. Maybe she wasn't as mad at him as he thought. She grabbed him by his hand and pulled him towards the unisex bathroom down the hall. Tseng saw them leaving the party but decided it was fine since it was Annie. He saw where they went to - they needed alone time anyways.

She hungrily began to kiss him, earning moans every few seconds. He kissed her back just as passionately. It started out just like how it did the last couple of semesters. Everything felt right and good. Ten minutes passed and Rufus began to feel strange. Was it just him or is his libido higher today? His pants felt uncomfortably tight and he hasn't done anything but kiss her yet. Maybe it was just him missing her touch for the past few weeks. Ten more minutes passed and Rufus started feeling dizzy. Something was wrong here. He decided to pull away from Annie and excused himself, leaving her by herself in the unisex bathroom. Perhaps that was a bad move on his part but his erection was painful by now. He slowly walked out of the bathroom, feeling hot and disoriented. Tseng was standing in the hallway nearby dutifully. Rufus grabbed Tseng's hand and pulled him towards the elevators.

"I think Annie did something to me." He said frantically to the Turk as they got on the elevator. Tseng raised an eyebrow at him. "It must be drugs or something. I feel funny." 

Tseng took a better look at Rufus. His face was tinged pink, his breathing seemed to have sped up since last time he saw him, his eyes were slightly dilated. He had a really apparent erection.

"Aphrodisiac." Tseng immediately identified it. Rufus cursed himself. He could have fallen to the drug's trap if he hadn't recognized his symptoms early.

"What can be done about it?" Rufus asked, still breathing heavily.

"Their effects usually will dull with time. You could wait it out." Tseng replied as he helped Rufus down the long hall. It was painful to walk with his bulging erection. 

"That sounds awful. I feel like bursting out of my pants right now." Tseng undressed him and put him in bed before turning to get him a glass of water.

"Let's try diluting it first."

Half an hour passed and Rufus was whimpering in bed from the feelings. Tseng wasn't sure what kind of aphrodisiac was used but he wasn't observing any other alarming symptoms aside from extreme arousal. Another ten minutes passed and Rufus was clutching at his groin in frustration. Tseng sighed and pushed his hands away. "Sir, engaging your needs now will just make it worse."

Rufus whined and pulled Tseng down then into a kiss. Tseng obliged. Maybe distracting Rufus for awhile will help with the main symptoms. Rufus went on him shamelessly, giving him the full French treatment. He moaned into the kiss and gasped for breath a minute later, only to be pulled back in. They continued this for about twenty minutes before Tseng realized he had a problem. He started feeling the symptoms too. He knew IMMEDIATELY then what kind of aphrodisiac was used - he was in trouble. "Sir...I....mmmmmphmmm.....ahnn...ah...." Rufus was licking him at a sensitive spot behind his ear and the effect of the aphrodisiac was spreading into him.

They fought in bed for dominance, kissing each other aggressively. Clothes were flying off at top speed and the sound of their panting took over the room. One minute, Tseng was on top, pinning Rufus down and grinding into him, the next Rufus had flipped him around and was attacking all his sensitive spots till he became a moaning mess. He grabbed Rufus's cock and began stroking, earning gasps and loud moans from the blond. Rufus came once...twice...three times. Tseng was panting so hard now. He felt dizzy and wanted to fuck badly. Every touch from Rufus was turning his body into a pool of fire. After Rufus recovered from his triple orgasm, he flipped Tseng over in the bed. Tseng bit his lips in contemplation with whatever mental power he had left over the effect of the aphrodisiac. Rufus was probably worse affected by the substance since he got first hand ingestion of it. He was getting a secondary dose from kissing Rufus. He stopped Rufus and got up from the bed towards the pantry. Rufus looked on with confusion. He opened the cabinet and grabbed the container of coconut oil. No lube, this will do.

"Tseng what are you doing?" 

"Sir, let me do this. Besides, I'm already trained for it." He replied as he scooped out a glob of the sweet smelling oil, rubbing it in his hand until the solid matter melted in the heat of his hand. He fingered himself from behind, inserting the oil and massaging it in evenly, moaning at the way he was feeling very sensitive. Rufus looked on. "Tseng ... are you?"

"Yes....I want you to fuck me Sir." He said as he flipped his long hair behind his back and looked Rufus in the eyes.

Rufus didn't need to be told twice. His rushing libido had him ready since minutes ago. He pushed Tseng into the bed and lubed his cock with the remnant of the oil on Tseng's hand.

The first push in was with pain as expected. Tseng groaned as Rufus inched into him, filling his inside. Rufus had a pretty wide girth and it felt very different being fucked by a real cock versus the training Turks received with toys. It was soft, it was hard, it was hot and it pulsed with life. Tseng let out a pleasured sigh when Rufus began to move inside of him. Each stroke inside of him was intensified by the drug, and Tseng could no longer keep quiet. He threw his head back in pleasure and moaned loudly, not caring if anyone heard. When Rufus hit his prostate, he half-screamed, causing Rufus to stop in alarm. "No, keep going it feels good right there.....Ah!!." He managed before Rufus plunged back at the spot. He was fully screaming in pleasure now, his fist grabbing onto the sheets for dear life as Rufus fucked his senses out of him. He came five times in a row but was still getting erect two hours after. Rufus's count was three orgasms ahead of him.

"Oh god.....I'm cumming!! AHHHAAH!!!!" His body twisted with the force of the orgasm as all his nerves fired again and shot his load onto the now soiled bed sheets. That was probably his ninth orgasm. He's lost count. 

By his first dozen orgasms, he was ready to pass out, both from physical exertion and also from too much pleasure. Everything inside felt raw but pleasurable. Rufus was still going, they've switched positions many times and every single one felt good. He was now on his back, Rufus was fucking him raw once again while their eyes locked with each other. It felt intimate and Tseng was already feeling like a melted puddle. His lungs were hurting from screaming so much, he had lost his voice awhile ago. Two more orgasms later, he was passed out cold.

Rufus finally felt the effects of the drug go down and his body return to normal. His bed was a huge mess, Tseng's and his cum are sprayed everywhere on the blankets, the pillows, and the sheets. There's no way they're going to use that bed tonight to sleep. He is going to be so tired tomorrow. Tseng's hair was plastered across his face in sweat and cum. He's going to need to help him wash that out later probably. This was not how he imagined he would spend his senior party at school at all, but Tseng had saved him from the effects of the drug in a way. He went into the bathroom to grab a clean towel and began cleaning himself and Tseng up. He tossed the towel onto the side of the bed when done and carried Tseng over to the other bed. They both fell into a deep slumber soon after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like bottom Tseng - he's too cute. Sorry if you were looking for him to top though! I might have him top next chapter.
> 
> There was a weird headcanon I had for awhile that Turks who reach 18 get sex and seduction training.


	7. Feelings and The Future

Rufus woke up feeling like he's been hit by a train. He groggily pushed himself up and glanced at the clock. 2 PM. SHIT. He panicked until his eyes landed on the calendar. Oh that's right, today was Saturday. He wasn't missing any classes. A shift on the bed caught his attention. Tseng was still asleep buried under a pile of blankets. Memories of the night before came crashing back with vengeance and Rufus cursed at himself.

He kept watch on Tseng and started to worry when he still wouldn't wake up two hours later. He ordered some food for them both from a restaurant and the food was cold by now. At past 5PM, he heard a raspy groan from the bed and immediately rushed to Tseng's side and began to apologize profusely. Tseng was still barely awake, his head was pounding and he was sore all over. He wanted to ask Rufus why he was apologizing but his voice came out hoarse. He had screamed a lot the night before but it was from pure pleasure. He doesn't even remember when things ended or when he fell asleep. It looks like Rufus had cleaned them up and carried him to the other bed. The room still had the strong lingering scent of sex. The other bed probably needed laundering.

Tseng took a breath to try speaking again but was quickly stopped in a fit of coughing. His throat was parched. Rufus brought him a glass of water which he promptly drained.

"Annie..." Tseng managed to croak out after while.

"I found out Raymond was behind the drugs. Tseng, please don't hurt Annie. If I have to, I'll just...break things off with her. Please." Rufus pleaded.

Tseng eyed Rufus carefully, seeing the genuine expression that he had on his face. _One day that soft heart beneath his cold exterior might get him killed._ That was his thought before he gave Rufus's hand a squeeze letting him know he understood. Tseng's breathing was shallow and it hurt to breathe any harder. This wasn't an effect of the aphrodisiac, this was from the intense physical activities they engaged in. The aphrodisiac they got drugged with was pretty standard stuff albeit in an extremely high dose. He's going to kill Raymond later. Rufus fed him a couple bites of food but he couldn't stomach much in his current state. He decided to go back to sleep once again. Rufus's libido went off the charts yesterday and it will take him the entire weekend to recover from it.

  
~...~

  
He got off the bed Sunday afternoon, feeling like his soul was finally returning to his body. There was a plate of what looked like messy scrambled eggs and slightly burnt toast that was on the table next to his bed. Did Rufus make him brunch? He's never seen the Shinra heir cook before but the thought that Rufus attempted to make him a meal made him smile. He pushed himself off the bed, breath hitching when his muscles complained. One quick look in the mirror told him he needed a shower badly. There were specks of dried white stuff in his hair. He knew what it was but mentally refused to acknowledge it. He sat at the edge of the tub and began to adjust the water temperature. The rivulets of warm water was relaxing. He leaned against the wall as the water ran off of him. He's done everything he could for now. _He still needs to go find out how Annie got the drug from Raymond, if there was any motivation behind drugging Rufus other than personal reasons, Rufus's bedding still needed to be washed, they haven't done_ _any course work for their classes this weekend, he needs to write up a report to Veld on the incident._ The random string of thoughts ran through his mind as steam built up in the small bathroom. He gasped when fingers intertwined into his hair. He opened his eyes to see a mop of blond behind him, gently massaging shampoo into his hair.

"You scared me." Rufus hummed in acknowledgement as he ran his fingers through the long strands, rubbing remnants of dried cum out of the locks. They stayed awkwardly silent as Rufus worked conditioner through his hair. They were familiar with each other in a sense, there was little they hid from each other, both because they're roommates and also because Tseng is his Turk. There were numerous times when Tseng undressed Rufus (almost fully) to check for injuries or wounds. This, however, felt more intimate than anything they've done before, even more than having sex two night ago. Was this the first time they were in the shower together? Yes he's pretty sure this was. Tseng's thoughts went back to Friday night. He was only performing his duty, but despite feeling like a mess after, he actually enjoyed it. He closed his eyes and relaxed, leaning his head back into Rufus's shoulder.

Rufus felt like he needed to help Tseng get the mess out of his hair. It was kind of his fault. He had been an emotional wreck after waking up Saturday afternoon knowing he had used - and perhaps abused Tseng's body. While he likes the Turk in a slightly-more-than-friends way, he never knew how Tseng felt. He was pretty sure Tseng had no actual interest in him despite them fooling around once before and that time was most likely because he and Annie got too loud and got Tseng roused up in the middle of the night. He froze when Tseng leaned back on him in the shower, his wet hair caking his shoulder. Their breathing was the only sound aside from the sound of running water.

Never in his life had someone given him so much attention during sex and had him so thoroughly fucked in a good way. Not in all the training the Turks provided for recruits going into adulthood, not when Meilin was rousing him up, and not from the casual encounters he's previously had on missions. Rufus made love to him that night, although it was drug-enhanced, he was consumed by the burning passion. Something felt right about doing it with Rufus. The sex was almost spiritual in nature and Rufus's touch set all his nerves on fire. He actually wanted to experience it again, and this time not under the influence of drugs. He gently cradled Rufus's head from behind, opening his gorgeous chocolate eyes just a slit. He slowly turned to face Rufus. There was a tension in the air, their lips were almost touching in this position. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity. Rufus had a dumb-founded look on his face and Tseng couldn't help but laugh a little before closing the distance between him and the slightly confused Rufus. Their lips locked and they kissed languidly in the warm steam.

  
There was a new pair of stud earrings waiting for him after they finally finished in the shower.

  
~...~

  
There was an unexpected package with his name on it in the mail. It was from Costa del Sol. Once the layers of wrapping were stripped, he sat back in wonder. It was a box of luxury chocolates from a Chocolatier in Costa. Rufus had bought him fancy imported chocolate. He didn't expect even more gifts after the earrings, which he was constantly wearing now. Tseng likes coffee, everyone knew that. Tseng also likes chocolate, but very few people knew that. He smiled at Rufus's thoughtful gift, then the perfect idea came to him.

"OH." Rufus's voice said from the doorframe when he came back from class. "You finally received it. Do you like them?" 

"Sir...I have an idea."

Raymond was humming to himself on the grassy lawn. Although Annie didn't succeed with the drugging, he had gotten Rufus Shinra to suffer a bit. He saw it when Tseng came down to the laundry room with extremely soiled bedding reeking of sweat and cum. Poor Tseng, always having to do Rufus's dirty laundry, but it made him just a bit more smug knowing he got the snobby rich boy into a bit of trouble. _But wait...does that mean Tseng saw Rufus in the throes of passion?_ He pushed the random thought out of his mind just as quickly as it came. He did NOT want to see that mental image. 

"I think this one's pear flavored." Raymond turned his head when he heard the familiar smooth voice from behind him. Tseng and Rufus were sitting at the root of a large cherry tree nearby. Now being mid-spring, the tree was in full bloom with pink petals falling haphazardly around with every whisper of the wind. There was a box of what looked like fancy chocolates on Tseng's lap. He fished a yellow and white chocolate out of the box, popping it into his lips tantalizingly. Raymond couldn't help but stare.

"How does it taste?" Rufus asked, watching Tseng carefully. Tseng hummed with a satisfied sound before pulling Rufus towards him. Raymond's eyes popped as they French kissed in front of him. Their kiss felt deliberately slow, every move of the tongue melting a little more of the fruit-flavored chocolate. When they finally pulled apart, both of them licked their lips.

"The pear one is excellent." Tseng declared. Rufus looked inside the box and spotted his own personal favorite. He pulled it out and held it in front of Tseng's lips.

"Try this one, it's rose flavored chocolate with a honey center." Tseng took it from him and his tongue traced the small amount of melted chocolate left on Rufus's fingers. He bit down into the candy and the liquid center exploded in his mouth in a gush of sweetness. He moaned involuntarily from the sensations of the sweet liquid before pulling Rufus into another kiss. This time, their kiss was messy and sticky as the honey coated their lips. Raymond's jaws were hitting the ground, he involuntarily drooled a little at the scene in front of him but despite hating what he's seeing, he couldn't tear his eyes away. The pair proceeded through the box of chocolates, wine flavored, cherry flavored, malted, and they finished their long make out session with a mint-chocolate kiss. Their arousal was so apparent but Raymond still couldn't find the strength to move from where he was as he was mentally glued to the scene of Rufus kissing the fine delicacy that was Tseng. 

"Let's go back inside....I want you in bed...NOW." Rufus declared loudly before tossing the now empty box into a trash can nearby. WHAT THE. WHAT THE... Raymond's brain felt like it had short-circuited. Was he going insane or did he just hear what Rufus said correctly? _He wants him in bed? WANTS HIM IN BED?? WANTS AS IN????_ Raymond let out a frustrated scream as he watched their shadow disappear towards the dorms.

Tseng had to withhold his laughter till he was clear of hearing distance. That was the best revenge prank he had done in awhile. He broke as soon as he rounded the corner when he heard the scream. Rufus joined him in laughter soon after. "You are ROTTEN, you know that Tseng?" Rufus said as he plucked cherry blossom petals out of Tseng's hair.

"I'm a Turk. I know every kind of psychological torture there is in the books." Tseng declared as he wound a hand around Rufus's waist. "Now....you said you wanted to try reversing this time?"

"Well....you seem to enjoy being penetrated a little too much."

"It feels very good."

"Then I want to try it too."

"As you wish." 

Rufus panted in pain. This wasn't quite what he was expecting. Tseng stopped moving and placed a hand on his stomach. "Relax, breathe." Rufus did as he was told. He took in a few deep breaths, breathe in, breathe out, breathe in, breathe out. Tseng started moving slowly again, matching his breathing rhythm. This time, he felt everything without the pain. The fullness of Tseng's cock inside of him, the feeling of skin to skin contact with his inner walls. The feeling of being fucked while their eyes locked. Tseng pushed a little harder once he got the hang of relaxing his muscles, until Tseng brushed against a spot inside of him that made Rufus temporarily lose his vision and scream. Was this what he did to Tseng? Holy Shiva, it felt amazing. "Right there!" He screamed as Tseng brushed against the spot again. Tseng snickered at his demanding lover and sped up. Rufus threw his head back, not caring anymore about the litany of curses and loud moans he's letting out. So that's why Tseng got so loud, it was almost involuntary when all the feelings from the stimulation of his prostate coursed through his body. Every little stroke against the spot made him feel like he will come within the next second, but yet he still hasn't. He groaned and moaned until suddenly his body betrayed him and shot a huge load of cum, making him cry out in pleasure. He panted and wanted to pass out already. Did Tseng really withstand 14 of these that one single night? What amazing stamina....

Tseng was panting hard now, his brows knit in concentration as the mounting warmth built up in his abdomen. He was so close. He didn't want to hurt Rufus but he seemed relaxed. Tseng stroked himself inside Rufus's warmth just a little faster when suddenly all the muscles surrounding his cock clamped down on him without warning. Rufus's cum shot out beneath him and his own shot into Rufus when his orgasm was pulled out of him. He came with a shout before leaning into Rufus trying to recover his breath. 

They laid in bed kissing slowly, Tseng wiped the hair sticking to Rufus's forehead. "Did you enjoy that?" Rufus could only nod. Tseng kissed him on the forehead again. "I want to sleep." Rufus said in a small voice before they both took an afternoon nap.

There was a time when Raymond's antics were mostly amusing, but Rufus no longer tolerated them. At first, it was entertaining to see Tseng with an unwanted stalker, but as time went on, it became more and more irritating. Why did he now find it irritating? Did he love Tseng? Was it because he thought of Tseng as 'his'?

He gritted his teeth when he observed the scene in front of him. Raymond had Tseng pinned against the wall, trying to grind his hips on the Wutaiian teen. Tseng's expression was withdrawn, eyes squeezed shut, looking like he wanted to kill the man assaulting him but knowing he couldn't because they were in a school setting. Rufus's lips thinned. He marched up to them at the end of the semi-dark hall and grabbed Raymond by the collar, pulling him away in one swift motion. He didn't even know he had that kind of strength. Tseng opened his eyes when the body pressed against his was no longer there. He saw Rufus kicking Raymond twice, leaving him in a curled heap on the floor before grabbing Tseng's wrist and pulling him down the hall.

"Sir...."

"Feel free to kill him after we graduate. I'm sticking to your side from now on." That was all Rufus said. 

  
~...~

  
The noises started out low from the next room. Meilin looked up questioningly at Malan and Lance. Neither of them looked like they wanted to say anything. Ten minutes later, the moaning became apparent. The sound of a bed rocking made it hard for her to concentrate on the book she was reading. She strained her ears but didn't have to for long. The noise level increased exponentially. Was this what she thinks it is? She really didn't want to think about Tseng and Rufus that way but the sounds leaking from next door spoke for themselves. It was clear now that was Tseng's voice. Tseng's moans became octaves higher in pitch and louder in volume and sounded desperate before he choked out several screams. A little later, the sounds were reversed and Rufus's slightly higher voice pierced the walls.

"Are they....did they just...." Meilin was bewildered. Malan just nodded quietly and pointed to the noise-cancelling headphones both he and Lance had on.

Her brother hadn't told her that it has been going on for awhile next door now. She's heard the noises from the other side of the dorm before but never knew which room to attribute it to. The shock value was a bit much. First he lied to her about being a Turk, and she was mad about it then and now he's selling his body - for what? Okay the campus rumors of them fucking were believable since drugs were involved that time but this was beyond explanation. 

  
When he went out to get some groceries after, he ran into Meilin coming out of Malan's room.

"Ah....Mei..." Tseng started.

"You are such a cunt and a bootlicker. Completely shameless." She said to his face before running off.

  
~...~

  
"Have you talked to Meilin yet?" Tseng sent Rufus an apologetic look that said "nope". 

"You should at least attempt to apologize to her Tseng." Rufus said quietly. "Even I managed to talk to Annie by now." It was one thing that he himself didn't have many friends in life - that was just the way his life was, but it didn't sit right with him that Tseng was losing his friends because of him. "Promise me you'll at least try?" He asked again while tickling Tseng in the stomach playfully. Tseng shrank like a caterpillar poked with a stick before twisting on the bed in giggles. "Okay okay I promise. Now stop it."

  
He caught Malan after class one day. The twin brother didn't seem as bothered by the events that have surpassed but as any twin would, he still felt the pain of his sister. Malan gave Tseng a side glance but turned to him fully when he saw the genuine troubled look on Tseng's face. "She's still mad at you, and what's going on between you and Rufus now isn't helping."

"I know....I just wanted to apologize to her." 

"She's a bag of popcorn ready to pop, but if you want to risk it, she's at the pond in the back. She WILL bite." Malan said before squeezing his shoulder. "And for the record, I don't care that what you do with your personal life but I expected better of you as a friend."

"You'll catch a cold if you stay out in the wind like this."

Meilin didn't spare him a glance at all. She kept her eyes trained on the pond in front of her, throwing small rocks into it intermittently.

"Meilin...I'm sorry for not telling you anything before. It was for Rufus's safety." Tseng started slowly, easing her into the conversation. Her expression said that she was wholly unconvinced about his sincerity. There was a small scowl forming on her face. It's the look she would give people before lashing out. Tseng mentally prepared himself.

"You're a pathetic liar and I don't trust you. Why would you EVER work for Shinra? Don't you care about Wutai? Do you know what they've been doing to our homeland? Of course you do, you're a Turk, you're just as guilty as the SOLDIERS sent to destroy our land." She bit out her frustrations and Tseng let her. It was better for her not to bottle up the anger. "I can't believe you'd want to work as a Turk. Is money THAT important to you? Why do you even care for Rufus Shinra - because he's good at fucking you? He's USING you at best. He's a spoiled brat and probably cheats on everyone he dates, including you. Tseng. How do you DO THIS? WHAT DO YOU TELL YOUR PARENTS? DO YOU LIE TO THEM TOO?" Her rambling became violent and she grabbed his arms in frustration, shaking him in anger.

He kept his lips shut tightly and when he didn't reply for awhile she finally looked at him hoping she had gotten her point across. Instead, Tseng had a distant look in his eyes.

"....my parents have been dead for a long time." He finally spoke. "I have no blood family left." His eyes were dark with a dull sadness that Meilin had never seen before. "Say what you will, but I would be orphaned and homeless had the Director of the Turks not found me when he did. There was a very probable chance that I could also be dead by now. Shinra took me in when I was at my worst, raised me in relative safety, and gave me a job and a living. The Turks are now my family. All those kids you've seen with me before, they're just as homeless and lonely as I was. Shinra is raising them even now, giving them food and shelter. We help raise the orphans of Midgar - half of us Turks were once orphans. As for Rufus, yes he is spoiled and sometimes a brat, but he is also my friend. He's just as much of a childhood friend to me as you and Malan are. I've known Rufus for a long time and understand him better than anyone here. You guys know NOTHING about him and his life - you will spend four years here at this academy and never know the true Rufus Shinra. He is caring and I consider him as a friend and as family...and now I consider him to be even more. I would trust him with my life just like he trusts me with his and I won't tolerate what you're implying about his relationship with me. He used to be loyal to Annie before she pulled that drug shenanigan and broke his heart and his trust. Rufus Shinra will bring a new era of peace and prosperity to Gaia and I place my full trust in him and the future he promises."

Any word that Meilin had wanted to say earlier was drained out of her as the meaning of Tseng's words registered. It was too much to take in at once - he was orphaned, Shinra raised him, Tseng raises other orphans, Rufus cared for Tseng in ways that none of them can see and they are in love.

"How long ago did your parents die?" she finally managed to ask. 

"I was 7." Tseng replied without looking at her. Meilin's heart jumped. That would only be a year after they had moved from Wutai. He's 18 this year and he's been an orphan for 11 of them. She couldn't find the right words or place her feelings, she was just numb. Instead, she stepped forward and embraced him tightly.

"I'm so sorry. I ... shouldn't have assumed things." She mumbled after a long silence enveloped them. He finally relaxed from the defensive pose he's been putting up and hugged her back. After awhile, she suddenly laughed. "All your trust in the future he promises huh. You are so deeply brainwashed it's not even funny...or are you just that in love with Rufus? You do know that everyone knows you two are fucking right? The entire dorm floor can hear you from ALL the way down the hall - and Raymond's been fuming outside his door every time you two are at it again." Tseng's face turned beet red before he covered it with his hands and walked away in embarrassment. The sound of Meilin's laughter followed him. "I'm telling you, it's quite funny and entertaining!"

  
~...~

  
Slowly the friendships repaired themselves. Things weren't quite the same as before but they found a comfortable balance where they were platonic friends again. The Wutai war ended before their final year at the academy was over and tensions no longer soared but there was a lot of diplomatic bridges to be built before there will be a semblance of peace between the two nations. Graduation was approaching quickly and the current events outside of school life was changing rapidly. If anything, Tseng was happy that he and the twins are back on good terms before the little time they had left in school - all thanks to Rufus's prodding. After that, it was back to the life of the danger. No, it was going to be a life of excitement. Rufus Shinra had just been promoted to Vice President of Shinra Company. There laid ahead a future he could believe in - alongside the one he loves and trusts.

Graduation ceremony was as much excitement as he expected - which meant very little to him with his father in attendance. President Shinra clapped alongside a gaggle of Shinra higher-ups as Rufus stepped up to the podium to receive his diploma. Veld and the rest of the Turks clapped enthusiastically for him and for Tseng. His father left soon after the ceremony, leaving him alone again. He looked around at the people he now called friends. They were going their separate ways. The campus was still abuzz with the excitement of graduation when a Shinra helicopter landed nearby. They bid their goodbyes and Tseng quickly and expertly knotted his tie and put on his jacket and gloves. He proudly walked through campus with Rufus in tow, garnering surprised looks from many of their now former classmates with him in his Turks uniform officially seen publicly for the first time. When he got close to the helicopter that Rude flew in and saw Raymond staring, he dramatically extended a gloved hand and helped Rufus up like a prince before asking Rude if he could switch. He had the biggest smile on his face as he himself lifted Shinra 09 off the ground into the air from the pilot's seat, with the awed look on their former classmates' faces below and one steaming mad Raymond Trinity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fin!
> 
> Tseng is so damned proud of being "Rufus's Turk"  
> =D
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed writing it!


End file.
